Borderlands Story: Jezebel
by HazardCat
Summary: This was originally meant as a character concept submission to Gearbox for use in their game, but developed into quite a bit of a story. The story doesn't contain 'chapters'. No original player characters are written into this story as of yet, and is purely based on the ideas in Borderlands. Very much a work in progress, and will likely undergo a bit of editing in the future.
1. Chapter 1

Bit of a note. I've been going back and revising some chapters to improve on them. A friend has been kind enough to work as my 'editor' so the story reads better. All the Chapters are being fixed up. Once Chapter 9 is updated, I'll be adding new Chapters again. Chapter 1 has been revised. I'll add notes at the top of each Chapter as they're done. Thanks everyone for being patient and I hope you enjoy the story!

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An icy wind blew hard across the vast and desolate landscape, battering the few trees that managed to cling to life. There was little other sound, save the endless clatter of near-frozen raindrops colliding with the tin rooftop. High above, the sky swirled with vivid storms akin to Saturn's eye, every flash of lightning that struck the snow beneath being followed by the rolling grumble of distant thunder. There was nothing kind about this planet. Not the sky, nor the chill of winter.

Every breath felt like the storm sucked the soul from any living thing unfortunate enough to be caught outside, stagnant and filled with an acidic humidity that threatened to kill off the weakest of those who dared journey to this dangerous place. If one was not facing the storms of winter, locked away and shielded from its aggressive nature, they were fleeing or fighting the bandits that crept out from their hiding places during the long winter months. There was no limit to those who'd established lives on this planet and no end to their madness.

A lone cabin, barely visible with each pulse of lightning, peeked up from the frozen earth. Made from metal sheets and an assortment of old, creaking wood, it provided some small shelter to the girl hidden inside. Her slender and emaciated frame was curled beneath rags that could hardly be called clothing and a single blanket that was frayed beyond repair, huddled inches away from the cheery blaze of a small fire for what little warmth it offered. Though youthful in appearance, the look in her sleep-deprived and blood-shot eyes belied that she had seen things no child should ever have to see. She clutched a repeater in her small grip, finger twitching against the trigger and causing the firearm to tap against the long sword beneath, as if she expected an ambush at any moment. A small, rodent like creature that looked akin to a sugar glider kept her company. Its eyes were reptilian in nature, with hints of feathers running along its back and scales along its stomach. Its wings were large and coated in soft fur with a long, lizard-like tail curling its way around whatever it perched upon. Tiny but sensitive ears rounded out the creature's almost cuddly appearance.

There was silence besides the crackle of flames, warming the cabin just enough to stave off the brutal wintery landscape outside. Suddenly, the little creature would chitter, alerting the girl to the fact that something was approaching. The young girl trilled her tongue in response to sooth the audible growl from her small companion, but soon even her ears could pick out the crunch of footsteps against the snow. The flimsy door rattled once as whatever was outside tried to enter, foiled by a few jury-rigged locks. One by one, the locks would be shot loose, leaving little behind but ruined metal. The girl slowly rose to her feet and raised the repeater to eye level as the last lock was undone, sucking in a frigid breath as an eerie silence settled once more. She fumbled for the sword with her free hand and crouched slightly; waiting for what she believed would be a single intruder.

Nothing.

Not a creek, not a hiss, nor any sound. Even the little creature's ears swiveled in search of _something_, but nothing further came of it. As the flames began to die down, the young girl's foot slipped forward as she began to ever so slowly creep closer to the door, sword resting against the curve of her lower back. As she neared the door, the sound of a tiny growl alerted her to something else in the room. A fleeting shadow caught her eye, causing the tiny creature to scurry quickly towards her and perch upon her shoulder aggressively. With a click of her tongue, the growl waned from her little friend, muttering just under her breath, "Shh.. Eissa." The little thing perked its ears, looking towards the fleeting lights and shadow play that begun to become more and more apparent around the outside of the cabin. Something inside however, kept grabbing her focus.

"Who's there!?" The girl demanded, violet eyes darting to and fro to try and see what had dared to invade her cabin without permission, "COME OUT!" A dark figure slowly emerged, tall and wiry thin with red eyes focused upon her. A slow, malicious grin spread across its dark features as it took slow, purposeful steps in her direction. "I'm warning you!" She yelled hoarsely as she trained the repeater on the shadow. Eissa hissed as it jumped off her shoulder, growing to the size of a large skag, peppered in feathery scales and massive fangs. What were once tiny ears had grown to bat-like proportions with tiny serrations along the edges, and sharp claw-like hooks along its fingers and toes. Its maw had stretched viciously wide, sprouting row upon row of beastly-looking teeth. Leathery wings were the final appendages to sprout from slits in its back, laced with feathers along the tops and claws at the joint and tip. But the tall creature didn't stop. Its large form towered over her smaller one with a gaze that tore away at every shallow breath she took. Eissa snarled and lunged for the monster of a man, its maw opening wide as it neared him. A sudden flash silenced the whole room, followed by a crash as the large creature hit the floor, struggling to raise itself up before falling still. "Ei-Eissa?" She whispered, her face and chest spattered with greyish blood. "EISSA?!" She cried out in a panic. All she could feel was the thick blood dripping down her face, the world beginning to wobble wildly. The last thing that she saw was a hand reaching out to her from what seemed like an eternity away, replaced by the frozen earth suddenly rising to meet her...and then darkness.

**_Barren Falls - Evening_**

The encampment was perched high upon a cliff overlooking the larger, more flattened terrain with peaks dwarfing many modern skyscrapers around the edges. Many bandits would settle at the very edge of the fence with booze and cigarettes propped atop their knees and eyes focused on the dog-fights between the outlanders below. Occasionally a sudden uproar would announce the defeat of one or more of the unlucky combatants, leaving the bandits with the prospects of more skulls and bones to decorate their huts with and a plentiful meal.

There were hints of hierarchy within the encampment as many huts were decorated with bones, painted symbols and often different colored leathers or fabric that were likely stolen from unfortunate trespassers. In one such hut, cobbled together from skins and old, rusty pipes, the young girl's white hair lay tossed over her face as her eyes began to slowly open. Her wounds were mended and her form covered with what might be called clean blankets despite where she had been taken. A single midget knelt beside her, watching with dim eyes behind the disturbing mask he wore. From time to time, unsettling giggles would draw her eyes open bit by bit, until fully widening at the burst of psychotic laughter from the lone midget.

Her eyes were tired and her stomach groaned with pain, causing the midget to glance over at her hunger-bloated belly. He cocked his head to one side, arms resting over his knees as he balanced perfectly on the balls of his feet. Another tilt of his head to the opposite side made the girl feel suddenly very ill at ease by his presence. He didn't speak, though his interest in her injuries made her wonder if perhaps there was some level of sanity still left inside him. Screams outside caught her attention and prompted her to look away from the midget that lingered by her. They were awful, the sound of someone being tortured or perhaps skinned alive in preparation for a meal. She knew the bandits were prone to eating things most would never even consider, and others would rather be killed then be forced to eat. Her own thoughts on the matter were mixed. Being young, she didn't yearn for death, didn't suffer from depression, and didn't particularly care where the food came from. But the idea of eating another human made her queasy at best.

The screams grew louder, followed by a gurgled cry which she imagined was a death rattle, a slit of the throat probably, pushing back any other thoughts as to what ended the poor man's life. She whimpered softly as the midget stood up and wandered to the door to see what the commotion was. With a gleeful laugh, he disappeared out of the door flap, giving the girl a chance to really see just how badly the weather had turned. It was brutal outside, the winds whipping around the innards of the hut long enough to steal away any semblance of warmth in her bones, but the bandits didn't seem to care.

She shifted and found her limbs bound to the frame of the hut. Her wounds ached terribly, but she realized that whoever had taken her had wanted her alive. As she thought on it more, her head would settle back with a long, heavy breath. "What do they want me alive fo-" She begun to mutter, before being cut short by the movement of the leather flap. The midget had returned, and with him, a fresh, juicy looking slab of meat. It smelled odd, but then again she thought everything did in the hut. The midget set it down in front of her, cooked and reddened by the fire outside. It looked quite appetizing, the fact she hadn't eaten in some time only serving to make it even more difficult not to desire the food. Her thoughts flooded back to the screams she heard, though, and she begun to wonder if this was the gruesome result.

The midget sliced a small piece free and began to cut it like he were feeding a small child, before extending it out towards her mouth. At first, the girl hesitated; her look caused the midget to pause with another tilt of his head. He didn't seem to understand her reluctance and resorted to lifting the lower part of his mask, exposing blonde stubble and chapped lips. As he opened his mouth, his rotted teeth became visible and made her suddenly tongue her own as if she had forgotten to check that they were all still there. To her relief, everything seemed in place, and the ease showed on her features. That made the midget think she finally understood, and just as he finished his bite he would jerk the other piece into her mouth without a moment's pause.

At first, the girl screamed as she was forced to take the small piece into her mouth. Whatever it was, she didn't recognize it, but to her starving body it was the best thing she'd eaten since she was a little girl. Her cry cut short as she chewed and swallowed, receiving a satisfied nod from the midget who would begin slicing more small pieces off for her. She had begun to grow impatient, however, as her body begged for food. Her head jerked forward towards the plate, causing the midget to jump back a bit and nearly cut himself with the small knife. His body language suggested he was puzzled, and she could only imagine his expression if not for the fact she had managed to chomp down onto the juicy meat and began to ravenously eat like a starved animal. The midget looked from the knife to the starved girl and just shrugged, lazily tossing the blade out the door. There followed a grunt from outside, where a larger brute had been passing by. He reached his hand down just outside of view of the two inside, plucking the knife from his hip with a contorted expression that rapidly turned to one of confusion. The brute scratched his shaved head before he too tossed it off, with another yelp of pain following in the direction it had gone.

Below the walkway another, smaller bandit was perched and watching through a break in the wall for any intruders. He'd reach down and pluck the knife from his rump before looking up with an irritated glare behind the black and red mask. As the brute looked down to see what the commotion was about, there was a hint of movement followed by the glint of the blade zinging back upward towards the muscular man. He reached his hand up trying to catch it, but found it instead imbedded firmly into his palm. With a long pause, the fussing of the smaller bandit soon ended with an audible cry from the brute. Tears swelled in his eyes and poured down his cheek as the man wailed loudly, drawing the attention of most the camp.

The young girl didn't notice. By then, she'd filled her mouth with food and was struggling to swallow it all before going for more. The night seemed much longer than usual, and before long the midget tending to her would settle against the doorway again. He'd watch her from his perch, drawing a shotgun that had been propped outside the door frame up against him, the barrel resting against his shoulder. The bandit hinted at his fatigue with a weak yawn, but the girl had already fallen into a deep slumber, her belly bulging out comically from the first decent meal that she had gotten in years.

**_Barren Falls - High Noon_**

The snow was bright and glistening with the intense light that broke through the seemingly endless storm high above. The young girl would stir as its blinding rays hit white and bounced into the darkness of her hut, revealing her hands unbound and her wounds fully closed. She drew to her feet with a tired grumble; her eyes squinted against the harsh glow of the outside world, until she found the silhouette of the midget reclining against the doorway. She could not think but to thank him, despite her better judgment to stay put and remain quiet, but she paused as she realized that his mask was missing...and that he was very, very still. "H-hello?" She squeaked with uncertainty, before she began to draw slowly nearer with a heavy feeling of uncertainty building in her gut. Her fear was well-founded, as she found the midget dead and wired to the edge of the door in a stance that would have mimicked the one she last saw him in. Her hands cupped over her lips in horror, panic forcing her body back as she tried to comprehend what it was she saw.

"Don't tell me you'd grown attached." A sinister voice drew her eyes away from the deceased midget, "That wouldn't be smart." He spoke with an intelligence that exceeded that of the average bandits she had encountered. "He was a good doctor... if a bit.. nutty." The male laughed, deep with a thunderous roll to his bass voice, "I think he was reminded of his daughter. Easy to do.. You're as young as they get out here."

He drew nearer to her like a predator in the shadow of the hut. "Did you enjoy your meal?" He questioned, "That kind of meat comes rare. I'm so glad we found a use for your friend... Eissa was it?" At the mention of her deceased pet, her head jerked towards him with eyes set ablaze in horror and rage. "D-don't mess with me..." She hissed, but his laughter seemed unaffected by the small threat. "I'll gut you, you son of a bitch!"

"Oh now.." he tutted, "Don't curse at me, you pathetic child. You haven't the foggiest clue what I could do to you." He said nothing further about Eissa as he ventured towards the light. His long fingers drifted forward to brush the leathery cloth aside, casting darkness away to reveal a much less phantom appearance. His frame was tall and quite slender with a pair of goggles perched atop his head. His gaze was deep, and seemed empty despite the crystals of green that made up his irises. Stubble ran along his chin, some shaved in intricate swirls that seemed oddly feminine for a man that looked so roguish yet somehow fit his slender chin. Patchy browns and dusty cream cloth and leather made up his outfit, torn in places to reveal his slender and athletic physique. His hair was blood red and done up in dreads, with a multitude of scars crossing all over what skin was exposed. He would be quite pale if not for the red tint of a constant sunburn. As he'd turn to glance back at the young girl, his armored shoulder would come into view, with spikes jutting out menacingly across its surface and a smaller curved band resting snug against his upper arm. Leather straps kept it taut to his form, indicated by occasional creaks when he moved his arm into certain positions, "Come on out, girl." He beckoned, his left arm raised up to gesture at the snow scape just outside the hut.

The girl's expression fell as he beckoned her out. She was suspicious, and couldn't trust he wasn't leading her into a pit to be skinned alive. "Why..?" She'd ask finally with a flick of her eyes to the deceased midget.

"Hmm? Oh, him. When you were snoozing, some crusaders came around and killed him. He wanted to be close to you...What better way to honor his final request than this?" A cruel laugh rumbled from deep in his throat as he turned and left the leather flap to fall back across the opening. She stared towards the outline of light around the covering and felt warm tears as they ran down her blushed cheeks. She never understood the reason for such violence, but rationalizing it was far less important than ensuring one could survive.

It seemed to her that she had slept for nearly the entire day. The encampment appeared large, sitting atop a high ridge that overlooked the valley below. It was clear the position had been chosen for what it offered in security from rival groups, or hopeless treasure hunters looking for an easy route to riches. The lands surrounding the camp were alive with firelight and celebration as buggies were sent off fighting far below, their metal bodies gleaming in the fading light. The girl's solitary figure slipped out from the hut, letting leather brush over her form without any regard. It was as if it simply didn't exist to her, her gaze finding the ground most inviting as her thoughts left her unaware of the hustle and bustle going on around her. As suddenly as the cheers would pique in an uproar of celebration, they instantly cut out when the gathered horde spotted the young girl standing there with little but a blanket pulled loose around her thin frame and a piece of cloth tied around her mouth to protect against the harsh air. The hyena-like laughter of one of the psychos caused the group to stir slightly, and just as swiftly the call for "fresh meat" was silenced by the sound of a revolver going off. It was enough of a signal to the rest that the girl was not to be handled.

"You came out." The voice of the man was suddenly behind her. His toothy smile alone told her he was not like many of these others. He received barely a glance from the young girl as she tugged the blanket a bit tighter over her shoulders. He would nod, as if accepting the silence, and continued. "You've given up? Good, good. Some of us are civil. It was surely in your best interest to not fight, and simply accept you're one of us now." She turned slowly, tears welling up in her eyes with unbearable sadness filling her gaze. His smile only grew, becoming more malicious as he begun to close the gap between them, "My daughter."

"Go die in a fire." As suddenly as she spoke, the man's hand would swing about to slap the poor girl's cheek and send her spinning with a tumble to her stomach. She remained on the ground, facing away from the man with snow melting against the front of her clothing and the now dirtied blanket that she had pulled around her. Crawling slowly to her feet, she turned to face him. Her gaze was no longer sad and resigned, instead replaced with a murderous glare.

"Go eat, and we'll discuss this further, hm?" He wiggled slender fingers onward towards one of the fires. Bandits scattered when she drew closer, the heat of her rage making them second-guess their baser urges. Itchy fingers edged around guns and waited for a chance to fill her with bullet holes, but none of them dared to make the first move, particularly in the presence of the man who stood not far off and simply observed the reactions of the residents.

One of the bandits remained sitting where he was, and seemed uninterested in the girl as he stoked the embers. Its filthy scent caused her nose to wrinkle, but soon enough she had sat on a rock off to the bandit's left side with her back towards a wall. The rusty metal wall had done its job to keep people out, and offered a bit of shelter from the snow – if only slightly. As the bandit realized she was sitting so near to him, he'd turn and adjust his coat lazily as if trying to decide what to do.

"Nice blanket." He finally commented behind the mask. The area over the mouth was like a grate unlike the rest of his full mask, and allowed Jez a small glimpse at the man's mostly hidden mouth when he spoke. He clearly had rank in the hierarchy of their society, though the girl couldn't guess as to just where he sat. "Skag's almost done, Chirp." The nickname caused her to look at him with mild confusion. "Ah, Chirp...You chirped at your friend. Seemed fitting." He shrugged absently before asking, "Are ya hungry?"

"That's not my name." She protested. "Well, I like Chirp kiddo. Anyway, you should eat. You're practically skin and bones." He gave a huffy wave of his hand in emphasis as he drawled, "He wouldn't approve of you starving." 'Chirp' turned towards the motion, realizing it lead to the eerie man that apparently had settled onto the edge of a hut. He'd kick one leg lightly against the wall, with his other pulled against his chest and hands lazily resting on the surface of the hut's rooftop. At her glance, he gave her an unsettling smile.

"Don't let 'im bother ya. He's kept us all alive. I'm sure he'll keep you alive just fine, too." The bandit reassured her. 'Chirp' scoffed in response as she pulled her legs up against her chest and covered everything but her head with the blanket. "Name's Logan. Not much of a Bandit name, is it?" He chuckled lightly, as if it was a joke only he found funny. 'Chirp' gave him another confused look before focusing her attention on the nearly-done meal. Its once filthy smell had become more appetizing to her as her stomach reminded her that she was once again hungry. As much as 'Chirp' hated to admit it, the fact there was food made staying a little easier and meeting Logan had only amplified that sensation of comfort. But off away from the two, the man's green gaze seemed to glimmer with a hint of red. His smile never waned; it only intensified as he watched their interactions.


	2. Chapter 2

YAY! Chapter 2 is now cleaned up. Enjoy!**_  
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**_Caravan Road – Early Morning_**

A long road wound like a serpent between two imposing mountains, the well-worn footpath extending as far as the eye could see in both directions. There were boulders lining the steep slopes on either side, many of them shimmering with a thin layer of ice as a dreary rainstorm sent half-frozen droplets to pelt the earth. It was always far more treacherous to travel during the winter months, since one never knew when a rockslide or sudden storm could spell trouble. Those that dared to travel it rarely did so without protection, as well, for it was common knowledge that the local bandits were fond of preying upon travelers.

A family of four trudged along, their pace easily kept by the small group of mercenaries that had been paid to keep them safe during the crossing. One stood over the group at a startling seven feet tall, with long brown dreadlocks accented by a white streak going down one lock of hair. His eyes were a striking blue, furrowed in a gaze that would freeze lava. His body was toned and rather average, but no one who looked at him could doubt the physical strength he possessed as he led the group through the narrow passage. A machine gun was slung across his back, a revolver strapped against his upper leg while a large knife bounced in its sheath on the other side of his hip. He wore what at one time was probably a nondescript tank top, tears and bullet holes having added up over time to render it little more than scraps of cloth barely holding together. A dark green bullet vest was zipped over top, the myriad of pouches bulging with ammunition and dehydrated nutritional bars for the trip. His pants were surplus military in make, the legs tucked into blood stained mud-brown boots, the pockets similarly packed with necessities.

On the left side of the family, a slender woman around five and a half feet walked with a large and heavily-modified war hammer strapped to her back. She had blonde hair that hung down nearly to her waist in a thick braid. A single violet eye kept vigilant watch on the slopes, the other scarred shut. A pair of sawed-off shotguns dangled from her hip holsters for easy access as one thin hand traced along the shaft of the hammer. She wore a filthy red jacket over a cream colored shirt which had seen far better days. A black belt held up green pants much like the first man wore, one leg displaying a ragged hole over her knee from general wear and tear. Her boots were simple, fastened by leather straps that complimented the plain brown they displayed. Whatever color they were before, it's likely it had been worn off long ago.

A shorter male, a smidge under six feet tall with black short hair, wandered lazily at the rear of the party with his hands tucked into his pockets as if he had no concern for any trouble they might face. He carried with him a twin set of short swords crossed against his back, modified to add an elemental kick to the blades with a tug of triggers added to the grips. A set of revolvers hung in shoulder harnesses on either side of his broad chest. He wore a long jacket with flaps that reached roughly his lower thighs over an unbuttoned, faded yellow striped top and the plain off-white t-shirt beneath. His boots were short, looking more akin to running shoes, but the worn down soles spoke of their heavy usage in the unpredictable terrain. A cigarette hung from his lips as he looked off to the side and frowned. "Yo, how much further we got, Tyco?" He questioned loudly, calling across the family they had been hired to guard.

The tallest of the group replied back with a deep, drawn-out groan, "Don't call me Tyco," as he pulled a single toothpick from one of his pockets. The toothpick had become a habit that replaced his smoking some years ago, and his two compatriots knew he was getting agitated whenever it rested between his lips. The man in the back gave a cocky smirk.

"All the girls call you 'Tyco'. Choo choo," he teased as one hand pumped at the air like he had pulled on the horn of a train.

"You don't look much like a lady," the tallest male growled in reply. The woman gave a quick roll of her eye and shot a glare back at the shorter man. "You can tease him when the jobs done, Ace. Leave it alone."

"Ohh...jealous? Maybe you should call 'im Tyco." Ace snickered as he picked up pace to keep up with the group.

"Maybe I should just shoot you in the frigg'n face." She hissed back.

"No need t'be like that, purdy lady. You can call me Tyco anytime." Ace grinned as he spit the cigarette off to the side, letting the butt sizzle futilely against the ice on the gravel. "Don't be hatin', Sai-girl!" She looked back at Ace with an exhausted stare, followed soon by a glare from the man ahead of them.

"Is there a reason you insist on calling him Tyco?" Sai questioned. The retort made Ace stop dead in his tracks, looking both disgusted and a bit lost for words. "Wha-? I...NO! Oh feck no! Do I look...? Do you think...? NO!" Ace picked up pace to follow after the rest of them with one hand planted against the back of his neck. The man up front gave a wide smile in response. "Then call me Tyler. You should be thankful, Ace. I bring all the g-..." As Tyler spoke, a glimpse of movement at the edges of the steep gorge caught his eye. He slowed his pace slightly and began to look at the high peaks.

The family had remained quiet. It was a mother, father and two young boys. They had done their best to ignore the generally inane and sometimes raunchy conversation from the mercenaries, but at Tyler's sudden alertness, they all quickly huddled closer together to give the mercenaries plenty of space to react.

As they rounded one of many bends in the trail, there stood the young girl, 'Chirp', with nothing more than rags for clothing, a cloth roughly tied over her mouth to ward off the acidic bite of the thin air. She looked half-frozen and frightened as she stared at the mercenaries with a pained expression. The group stopped, the two parents reaching out and pulling their children closer to them. A look of confusion crossed their faces one at a time, but the cold, suspicious gaze of the mercenaries gave Chirp an uneasy feeling. She shifted a bit to the right before she started to walk towards Tyler, her eyes set solid upon the ground. As she drew closer, Tyler raised a hand for her to stop and met her halfway.

"They said...you can't come without paying." She whispered after licking her dry and chapped lips.

"Hmph." Tyler replied as he narrowed his eyes and gave the girl a once-over, one hand resting against his hip while the other slipped around the grip on his revolver. "You're the messenger? Bit odd for a kid to be sent out for man-talk."

"Man-talk?" Ace chimed in with a loud laugh, "That kid's prolly gotta bomb strapped t'her somewhere. Oughtta jus' shoot the brat a-..."

Sai turned and raised a single shotgun towards Ace's crotch as he drawled on, sneering, "Keep talkin', Ace."

"...Ah. Ah heh heh...Yeah, we should TOTALLY take 'er with us. After all, she's pretty helpless out here, Tyc—er. Tyler!"

There was a deep, contemplative rumble from Tyler's throat as he mulled over the scenario. "You here willingly, kid?" He questioned. Chirp gave a hesitant glance up towards the edges of the peaks as she took another step forward. She seemed all the more ill at ease as time went on, and despite the hardened look she was getting from Tyler, she recognized a hint of compassion hidden beneath it. She opened her mouth to answer, only to be cut short as bandits began to gather around the hills above.

Among them was a single, red haired male with filthy dreadlocks resting around his face, "We expect two hundred thousand from each of you. Or else everyone dies, including the girl." His slender hand waved towards Chirp with an unsettling grin.

Tyler turned his gaze away from the girl to follow the sound of the voice, as did everyone else. The mercenaries knew better than to let their guards down, particularly in this type of spot. They'd draw together in a loose circle to get a better position as more bandits appeared, preparing for the worst.

"Are you bloody kidding me?" Sai spat softly, eye flicking between the bandits. Ace gave a helpless sigh as he gripped the swords from his back and pinched down on the triggers slightly, psyching himself up for the fight. "Ain't no frigg'n way. Hope you got a plan, Tyler, or we're all junked."

Chirp couldn't help but notice the family beyond Tyler. The boys peeked out from behind the shoulders of their frantic parents as they prayed, looking towards her with wide, frightened eyes. They didn't understand what was going on, and the sight brought back painful memories.

Tyler focused on the red haired man as he shoved the back of his knuckles against the bottom of his chin, scratching at the itchy five o'clock shadow that had grown there. With a bit of a sigh, he replied, "How can we know you're not just gonna jack us for the cash and kill us anyway?"

"You have my word. Or not. It doesn't particularly matter, it's a win-win for us and a lose-lose for you." The red haired man spoke, his smile ever broader with malicious intent in his gaze.

"Right." Tyler's eyebrow twitched as he raised his hand back towards Ace, palm up.

"What? Hey I worked good'n hard fer this damn money! No way in hell I'm givin' my share up!" Ace said abruptly as he slapped the pommel of his blade against his chest. "Jes' throw them Sai, and we'll-..." Ace wasn't the brightest in the group, and that was made all the more obvious as Sai suddenly appeared directly in front of Ace, her knee snapping upward and connecting solidly against his groin. A squeak of pain exited Ace, who pinched his thighs together shakily and he struggled to maintain his footing – and dignity.

"Next time.. I remove it." Sai said with a raspy snarl. She'd turn and grab hold of the massive hammer, swinging it around and pounding the head against the ground in front of her, "Want to play?" She questioned flatly as she stared up towards the red haired man. "Let's see how pretty you are when I finish stripping the flesh off your bones." A smile grew across Sai's features, her eye sparkling with excitement and a destructive craving to destroy every single bandit that had appeared. The look was enough to cause some of the bandits to hesitate, glancing uncertainly between each other.

As Sai drew the attention of the bandits, Tyler's attention was once again drawn to the young girl in front of him. The way Sai handled herself left Chirp awestruck as she watched events unfold in front of her. A familiar voice approached from behind her, the scent of a recent meal lingering in the air around him making it obvious to her who it was. "Oi, Chirp." Logan stopped slightly behind and to the left of her as Tyler leveled a glare at him.

"Chirp?" He questioned.

Logan returned the glare, though it was rather ineffective owing to the fact that his eyes were hidden. Ignoring the question, Logan asked, "This guy bothering you?"

Tyler's eyebrows wrinkled together further at the protective tone in the other man's voice. "You her papa or something?"

Logan reached forward to settle a hand upon Chirp's thin shoulder, saying nothing. Tyler shifted his weight slightly onto his right foot in response, shoulders hunching slightly.

As everyone else seemed to be busy squaring off, Ace glanced over at the family that was still huddled tightly together. The mother was sobbing silently while the two boys looked about ready to join her. The father was the only one who seemed to be keeping his cool, which suited Ace just fine. He slowly wobbled his way forward, both hands cupped over his now tender lower parts. He raised one quivering blade towards the red haired man and squeaked, "You...messed with th' wrong folks, a-hole." The bandits seemed more amused at the empty threat than anything, several different jeers and muffled laughs drifting down.

The laughter drew Tyler's attention for a moment, but it was soon focused back on Logan as he sized the smaller man up. Chirp was stuck in the middle and felt increasingly uncomfortable as the two men seemed intent on trying to stare each other down. "Uh...?" She mumbled, only to be cut off by the two men as they began to talk over each other.

"She's dying, you shit. Look at her!" Tyler barked at Logan, only to find Logan invading his personal space with a finger jamming forward to prod roughly into Tyler's chest. "She's always been this small! We take *good* care of her!"

"Says who!?" Tyler questioned sharply, clearly unimpressed.

"Says me!" Logan responded huffily in turn.

"You? You're a JOKE! I bet she's never even seen what's behind the mask!"

"She-" Logan paused, caught somewhat caught off-guard by the response. He'd narrow his eyes behind the mask as he reached a hand up to pluck it off his face. Logan was an easily forgotten individual with the mask on, as he looked basically alike with every other bandit. Once he peeled it off, however, his rather unique looks were exposed for all to see. His eyes were silver, captivating in their intensity with locks of light brown fringe framing his face. The laughter stopped, replaced by a flood of gasps as Logan ran a hand through his hair and glared at Tyler. "I take damn good care of her," he insisted.

Tyler just smirked, and without warning sent a fist forward towards the now exposed bandit's face. Logan was again caught by surprise, the blow launching him back several feet before he hit the cold ground, the back of his shirt tearing with a loud rip.

As Tyler threw the first punch, the other bandits began to flood down the slopes towards the family in the center. Ace and Sai turned and rushed towards the charge, barely managing to stop the first onslaught of bandits from tearing the defenseless foursome to shreds. "How low," Sai commented sharply as she swung the hammer from right side to the left, sending several bandits sailing through the air with blood splattering across rock and hammer alike. Ace gave a groan as he spun the twin blades around his palm and coated them with elemental energy. "Come'n get it, bitches!" he quipped, his lips twisting upwards into a cheeky grin as he covered Sai's flanks.

Logan pulled himself up into a sitting position and began to probe the rapidly-swelling injury with a grunt as Chirp was jolted into action, quickly wrapping her arms around Tyler's waist while her tiny legs twisted around his in a vain effort to keep the giant at bay. "You bully!" She shrieked, before sinking her teeth into the vest covering Tyler's stomach. "You hurt Logan!" Tyler's eyes jerked down in wide-eyed surprise before he reached down and gripped the back of Chirp's shirt. "Hey, stop that!"

Tyler easily pried Chirp free from his waist and abruptly dumped her to the side as Logan regained his footing and stormed over, the two men falling into an argument over who would take better care of the girl. "You're just a boy!" Tyler growled, his face practically pinned to Logan's. In response, Logan reached a hand up, grabbing tight onto Tyler's vest. "I'm a MAN. I'll prove it!" he retorted angrily.

Tyler grabbed onto Logan's shirt tightly, the two suddenly pitting themselves in a fight for dominance. Compared to Tyler, Logan was relatively smaller at a bit over six feet tall, but he was proving he was more than just some random bandit. His knuckles popped audibly as he tightened his hold onto Tyler's vest, digging determinedly into the thick material. Tyler's hold was also quite solid, muscles rippling as he locked onto Logan's jacket. The sound of their feet could be heard over the battle nearby as they scraped across the gravel, jockeying for position. Tyler suddenly threw his weight into Logan, forcing the smaller man back into a nearby boulder with a meaty thud. Logan gasped as the air was nearly forced out of his lungs, trembling under the taller man's leverage before finding purchase. With a growl, Logan curled a leg around Tyler's knee and shoved, over-balancing the larger man and reversing their positions, eliciting a pained swear from the giant.

By this point, the other mercenaries, the family, and even the remaining bandits had all stopped what they were doing in surprise. Logan, despite his spry build, was proving quite the challenge for Tyler. Sai scratched at the back of her neck with a light frown before she shrugged and raised the hammer to rest across her shoulders, flatly stating, "Welp."

Her attention was suddenly caught by the fact that Chirp had maneuvered herself close to Sai. She looked over the younger girl with a curious expression before turning to regard the red haired male up atop the edge of the steep cliff side. "What's he want with you?" she asked, catching Chirp's attention she realized the one-eyed woman was speaking to her. Chirp didn't say anything in response, instead scooting closer to Sai as she frowned at the two men still locked in a hand-to-hand confrontation.

The bandits had retreated up the slopes, perching along the various boulders and thoroughly enjoying the spectacle while chanting, "LOGAN! LOGAN! LOGAN! LOGAN!" Ace approached Sai and Chirp from behind. He looked down, idly scratching at his cheek with a thoughtful frown, before asking the older woman, "What are we gonna do wit' her? Looks like Tyler got all attached 'n sh-..." Ace paused and looked around before muttering, "Oi, where's th' family?"

Sai stopped paying attention to the melee to look around quickly, "You've got to be feckin' joking..." She hissed, before pointed ahead at four rapidly dwindling dots further up the roadway, "There. They left without paying!" Sai whined. "Now we're really junked for a meal! DAMNIT!"

"I can catch 'em." Ace had begun to trot off after them, but he was stopped by the sensation of small hands clinging to his jacket. He'd look back at Chirp, who blinked with wide eyes, and suppressed a groan. "Fubbercups. Don't be like that, jus'…Lemme go." He poked Chirp's forehead a couple times, then tried to gently tug her off of his coat, traces of wrinkles appearing around his mouth as he frowned. Soon enough, he sighed and slumped his shoulders, casting a final glace up the road. "Shit pickles."

"Looks like he's not the only one attached," Sai commented as she turned, drawing the large hammer off her shoulder as she approached the gathering of bandits. "HEY!" She shouted as her gaze shifted up to the red haired man. His figure loomed atop a ledge, his piercing gaze turning to coldly regard the lone female.

"There are so few women that travel these roads...Maybe we will take you instead of the money?" His suave tone carried along the corridor of rock and snow with a malicious grin. Sai glared in response, her eye alight with the rage she suddenly felt at the man's suggestion.

"Who the feck are you?" She asked sharply, shifting the hammer back to her shoulder with her grip rising along the handle to rest near to the base of the large pallet.

"Who am I? My dear, I am an angel. You may call me Mercury," he replied as he dramatically combed his long fingers through the red dread locks around his face. A cruel smile replaced his earlier expression, overshadowed by a glow that radiated out from behind him. Chirp had never heard the man's name, but upon his formal introduction she seemed to pale slightly. She uncurled her fingers from Ace's jacket and looked up at Mercury as he stood over them, her eyes squinting slightly to witness the dramatic glow cast out from behind the wire thin man.

Ace huffed, and waved off Mercury with one of his blades. "Hmph. I ain't impressed! Who names their kid MERCURY?" Ace rested his hand against his hip, waving one sword around in emphasis before barking out a short laugh. "I mean c'mon! Yer soundin' like a pussy-ass bish instead o' some bandit bigshot."

Mercury felt the crease of wrinkles on his forehead as his mouth twisted into a deep frown at Ace's comment, the glow behind him intensifying dramatically as his fingers stretched out. A sickly-looking light began to radiate out from his fingers, his eyes illuminating a strange purple. Behind Sai and Ace came a sudden gasp for breath. As they turned, they saw Chirp's form floating above the ground. Her arms spread with her legs dangled limply as she defied gravity, her head rolling from side to side. Her lips trembled as first her eyes, then her entire body started to take on the same purple glow.

Tyler's attention was drawn to the sudden silence from Ace and Sai, and turned to gawk at the sight, only to be reminded of the fight he was in by a solid punch to the chin from Logan. Logan, too, froze as he noticed what was going on, his lips parting in surprise, "Ch-Chirp?" Tyler cupped his chin with a light grunt before grabbing hold of Logan's collar, dragging him along towards the girl. Tyler didn't say anything, but the look in his eyes grew cold as they shifted up to Mercury above.

"STOP THAT!" Sai shouted as she swung the hammer downward into the ground directly in front of her, using the weapon as a make-shift vaulting pole. She flew upwards toward Mercury, the hammer digi-structing in midair into a rocket launcher. She aimed it at the man as she began to drop down at him, but she hesitated as she watched purple nubs tear from his back and slowly begun to transform into strange wing-like perches. His smile grew all the more sinister seeing Sai so near as he snapped his free hand forward. Like a claw, it extended out beyond the reach of his arm and latched firmly around her throat, jostling her aim and sending the cluster of five rockets past him into the gathering of bandits nearby. The perches on his back started to spread out like plucked wings, bit by bit forming the leathery surface that were becoming full-sized wings very similar to that of a large bat. Across the tops were tufts of feathers, red and black in tone, replaced by scales closer in to his back. He just smiled as he drew Sai in, his fingertips digging into her neck and drawing five pinpricks of blood.

"SAI!" Ace shouted, forcing Tyler to rip his gaze off of Chirp to the other immediate problem they faced. Ace seemed to lose his cool in an instant as he raced up the sharp slope, screams following closely as his blades whirled in front of him and either dropped the bandits where they stood or sent them tumbling down the rocky mountainside. His determination wasn't missed by Mercury, who tightened his grip and elicited a gurgled cry from Sai as a warning, which only seemed to spur Ace into a faster frenzy. At the same time, Tyler's calm movement carried him forward to the edge of the path, giving little more than a small huff at the piled bodies left behind by Ace's rampage. He drew the revolver from his hip and took aim at Mercury; one eye squinted down the sight intently to get just the right angle with a slow squeeze of the trigger.

As Mercury drew Sai closer, his arm would seem to lock back into its proper place, keeping her lingering over the edge of the steep incline. "I'll leave the choice to you, my dear. The girl, or you."

Sai's eyes started to close as her hands struggled to grip at the sleeve of the man's outstretched arm. Abruptly, she felt the sleeve go taut before a faint ripping sound reached her ears, Mercury dropping away from her. Had she – died? Was this the end? The echo of a distant cry caught her attention, someone calling her name as she floated aimlessly...

The impact of a body colliding with her drew Sai back from her reverie. She was too startled to even blink as a pair of sinewy arms wrapped around her before they met the ground, causing Ace to let out a loud groan. Sai arched her neck and stared at her rescuer for several seconds before he loosened his hold and unceremoniously dumped her beside him. "Damn it, woman," he whined, "nookie time later, chop chop..."

Back on the edge high above, Mercury growled as he clutched the bloody nub of what used to be his hand. Tyler exhaled softly as he drew the hammer of the revolver back again, remaining focused on the red-haired bandit leader.

Logan ran to Chirp, but each attempt to get to her resulted in energy lancing out from the small girl, sending the bandit skidding across the ground with his hair on end. She struggled to breathe, barely able to focus through the agonizing pain. Logan turned quickly towards Mercury with wild eyes and yelled, "Let her go! You're killing her!"

As Sai climbed to her feet, she winced and lightly cupped her neck, slender fingers massaging the marks left behind by Mercury. She glanced between Chirp and the bandit leader quickly before murmuring, "Ace, see if you can't distract the remaining bandits."

Ace gave her a weary look, "Y'aren't plann'n t'do what I think yer plann'n t'do...are ya?" Sai simply gave him a glance, drawing a worn-down sigh from the mercenary as he idly twirled his blades. "...I was afraid o' that."

Sai stepped towards the younger woman as Ace rushed the remaining bandits, her fingers trailing the length of her slender neck. With a deep breath, Sai clapped her hands together once and dropped down to one knee, her lips soundlessly forming words as the wounds on her neck began to glow. The world around her started to warp, the very essence of reality beginning to distort as she began the ritual. Her skin took on a sickly black hue as shapeless spirits began to coalesce around her, drawn to her blood offering. Their wordless shrieks threatened to break her concentration, but Sai grimly carried on, bending them to her will.

Ace drew himself up and flourished his blades, before thrusting them back behind him and impaling an approaching bandit. Seeing the immediate area was clear, he spared a moment to glance behind him and frowned as he saw Sai. "Feckin' witch," he muttered under his breath, "ya better not kill yerself fer the brat."

Tyler took a step away from the steep incline as he slid the revolver into its hip holster and pulled the machine gun off his back, flicking the safety off with a practiced motion and taking aim at Mercury. With a hiss, the red-haired bandit extended his wings fully and squeezed his remaining hand into a fist, causing audible gurgling sounds from Chirp to swiftly follow as Sai's ritual continued. The mercenary clenched his jaw and began to feather the trigger, sending short, accurate bursts cutting through the air. Bullets deflected from Mercury's central body and extended arm with flashes of sparks, as if the bandit leader was covered by a shield. Frowning slightly, Tyler dropped the empty magazine from his machine gun and replaced it in one fluid motion, eyes flicking briefly to catch the dark energy radiating from Sai. However, when his gaze returned to where mercury had been standing, the mercenary found nothing but empty air. He quickly pivoted, sweeping the hilltop on both sides, but there was no sign of the bandit leader.

The surviving bandits from the ambush began to slink off, shortly leaving no one around but the three mercenaries, Logan, and Chirp. The young girl gurgled pitifully as she started to drift downward slowly, her feet eventually making contact with the ground. Logan was horrified as he watched, not able to tear his eyes from her. "Dammit dammit dammit, Chirp, c'mon, come back to us, kiddo," he babbled to himself, worry evident in his eyes. Sai rose to her feet and began to step forward, her hands parting to leave a strange black substance stringing between her fingertips and palms. Jolts of electricity began to flash between the two women as they drew closer, causing Sai to wince ever so slightly each time. Eventually she made it to the small girl, drawing Chirp snugly against her. Closing her eyes, Sai rested one of her hands against Chirp's forehead while the other came to rest over her heart. Dark essence swelled around the two, locking the pair together in a storm of energy. Sai began to chant to herself, each sound casting strange, archaic symbols in the air around the pair. Ace and Logan looked on with worry and shock, while Tyler turned his back on the proceedings and continued to glare towards the ledge he last saw Mercury on.

Ace muttered near Logan, "I'mma kill ya if she dies, yanno." Logan simply scowled in response as he pushed brown locks of hair from his young features, following the ritual intently. Bit by bit, the dark energy would begin to fade, along with the purple glow that had previously consumed Chirp. As it cleared, they could make out Sai standing quietly with her back to the men, Chirp cradled limply in her arms. Abruptly, the young girl would gasp painfully as she sucked in air, causing Ace and Logan to jerk in surprise. "Chirp?" "Sai?" they asked hesitantly. Sai turned to face the two men, looking pale as she let out a short, painful cough, blood spilling down her chin and spattering on Chirp's unconscious frame.

"SAI!" Ace shouted as he rushed forward. As he neared, a wave of energy sent him flying back, throwing him into a nearby boulder. Logan and Tyler froze, eyes following the thin man before Logan furrowed his brow. "What...what did you do to her?" he said, dumbfounded.

Tyler didn't respond, only giving Sai a tired gaze as he returned the machine gun to its place on his back. Sai simply dropped to her knees, too drained to speak, before unceremoniously flopping face-first into the frozen path. Logan quickly ran over, followed closely by a clearly unhappy Ace.

"Shit-feck-sonuvabish!" Ace cursed loudly, cradling the unconscious form of Sai in his arms as Logan tended to Chirp. With a heavy sigh, the bandit looked at the others with a dangerous glimmer in his eyes.

"Won't do you any good," Tyler warned, stroking his chin in thought. "You're better off taking her away from here. Somewhere she'll be safe."

"Feck'n brat did this t' her!" Ace announced angrily, twisting his body to glare daggers at Logan and Chirp "She'd be fine if not fer th' kid!"

Tyler reached behind his back as he plodded slowly towards Logan. The bandit tensed noticeably, his gaze all the more hardened by the approach as he gripped Chirp securely in his arms. The giant mercenary shook his head as he pulled a slender tube with a needle capped at the end from the belt of his pants. He extended it towards Logan, allowing the illumination of pink to cast a faint hue across his palm. "She's still injured."

Logan hesitated for several moments, surprised at the mercenary's generosity, before nodding and accepting the tube. He chomped down on the cap and pulled the needle free, carefully inserting the tip into Chirp's arm. With a few faint coughs, the serum seemed to work its magic and dragged her from unconsciousness. Behind the group, Ace protested, "Where th' feck is Sai's?! Yer gonna give th' li'l rat that shit instead o' her? She's one of OURS, man!"

Tyler's gaze settled on Ace, eyes blazing with a fierceness that was enough to cow Ace. Ace huffed and went to speak again, but was quickly cut off by Tyler raising his hand. "So are they, for now. I want to know what that Mercury fellow wants with the girl."

"WHAT!?" Ace fumed, throwing his arms outwards. "Since when didja become our feck'n leader?!"

The mercenary simply snorted at the theatrics and looked askance at Logan, waiting for his response.

In awe, Logan stared up at the giant of a man and gave a short, sharp nod. "...Right-o."


	3. Chapter 3

_I ended up scrapping the 5 year jump ahead since people mentioned it seemed to bounce too much. Instead, I added in a smaller time jump, which flows into the next section a bit. Since it's still in its rough stages, there will likely be a bit more added to explain how they ended up on the Dahl ship, or I may explain it later on as time progresses. It's generally safe to assume Ace had something to do with it__. Just saying :)_**_  
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_ALSO - NOW the story is edited. All cleaned up. Thanks for being patiant while I go through the chapters with my good friend and make them so much better.  
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**_Apollo Fort – Midnight_**

The storm had moved to the west, blanketing the night sky in dark, angry-looking clouds and punctuated by occasional flashes of light in the distance. The green glow of small bugs flitting about peppered the landscape like fireflies, creating an evanescent feel to the atmosphere that had been particularly absent over the past few months. It was a sign that spring was stirring beneath the frozen ground.

A single, ramshackle metal wall surrounded the town of Apollo Fort, dim lights strung about haphazardly providing a source of illumination to the dirty sidewalks and shady looking corners beneath. The feel of the place was unpleasant and run down, the specter of a mugging – or worse – lingering around each twist of the road and faint shadow. But despite the gloomy atmosphere it was quite a pleasant place under the light of day. The few people who lingered outside at such a late hour kept to the shadows or filled the noodle stands that lined some of the more popular roads. The most prominent of the town lived in buildings made out of salvaged metals, the time-worn surfaces glowing slightly with red and yellows reflected from faded ornamental fans and oriental accents that served to draw attention. Women decorated with painted faces and intricate, brightly-colored kimonos walked with umbrellas shielding them from the elements, a lantern attached to the top to guide their steps. The women were often followed by small groups of people, a mix of curious onlookers and gruff bodyguards.

One geisha in particular, who wore layers of purple and gold, seemed to awe the crowds as she made her way through the streets. She was clearly the highlight of the evening, and behind her the crowd was noticeably larger. Standing close to her was an old man, with thin wired, circular glasses and white hair braided down to the back of his knees. His face contorted with a faint sneer, accenting the crow's feet around eyes, the laugh lines of his mouth, and wrinkles across his forehead. He squinted his eyes slightly as he drew a pipe to his lips and puffed on it with an audible hum. His clothing was simple; a black tang jacket with intricate silver lining, and a pair of matching black pants. Surprisingly, he seemed to wear no shoes, his feet calloused and rough from many years of going barefoot.

The old man paused as the geisha broke off into a building near the center of town, leaving her crowd to swoon from outside the building. His gaze settled upon a group of five at a nearby noodle stand with a thoughtful tug at his narrow chin scruff. A fuzzy eyebrow lifted in thought as his dull gray eyes followed their movement like a hawk.

Logan kept a close eye on Chirp as she scarfed down the bowl of noodles handed to her. She was loud enough to cause other patrons to stop and stare, but it was clear the young girl simply didn't care enough to be bothered by it. Ace kept Sai close by, despite his worrying being brutally unwelcome by Sai.

"I swear to god, Ace.." She scowled with a raspy voice. Her emptied bowl sat to the side on a nearby bench, her arms folded over her chest and her legs crossed snugly. Ace huffed and drank the last of the contents in his bowl. "Don' be such a frick'n cry baby," the mercenary admonished as he leaned against the wall next to Sai. "Y'should be frick'n grateful. I carried yer fat ass all th'way 'ere."

Tyler sat on one of the benches with a bowl of noodles in one hand, his fingers splayed to keep the heat off his palm with chopsticks held skillfully in his other. He had taken notice of the old man some time ago, and kept his eye discreetly upon him. A loud crash made Tyler's eyebrow twitch as Ace found his face planted briskly into the now broken bench Sai had occupied.

Logan coughed as Chirp paused with a bundle of noodles hanging loosely from her mouth, staring wide eyed at Sai and Ace. She slurped loudly until the noodles were sucked into her mouth, and just as quickly swallowed. Logan shook his head and rested his hand on Chirp's shoulder with a worried frown. "Oi, Chirp. You want another?" Her response was instantaneous as she suddenly sucked down the last of the bowl's contents and thrust the bowl wordlessly towards Logan. He chuckled softly and gave a small nod. "Okay. Another bowl coming up, kiddo."

**_Two Months Later – Apollo Fort Outskirts_**

Despite the massive storms ravaging the atmosphere, the sun had managed to break through the offending clouds, offering relatively calm and dry weather for the group to practice. It seemed like a never ending battle between calm and chaos as distant clouds gleamed an ominous essence, the threat of a sudden squall blunting the serenity. Today was similar to the past months, when the mercenaries and the bandit would venture out with Chirp to train her skills with firearms.

The younger girl's smaller hands gripped the large revolver tightly, the tip of the barrel slightly drooping towards the earth as her lean frame struggled to hold the weapon up. Behind her stood Logan with his arms folded, observing carefully as she learned to better handle a gun. He dropped to one knee behind her, bumping her arms up to level the revolver towards a rotting tree in the distance.

"Remember. Aim careful, breathe slowly, and as you exhale, pull the trigger back. Don't be afraid of the kick, Chirp." His protégé raised the gun a bit more and tightened her grip around the handle as she squinted down the iron sights. Logan stayed behind her, half-expecting the force to knock her back when she fired. As the trigger was squeezed, Chirp was sent stumbling back right into Logan's gentle hold, keeping her from bowling over as the bullet cracked through the air towards the rotting tree. With the echo of splintering wood, the bullet ripped through the tree and sent thick shards splaying outward from its central mass.

"Nice shot, kiddo." Logan encouraged her as he stood up straight and settled his hand atop Chirp's head. Sai soon approached from behind, giving a warm smile and approving nod to the two. Tyler stood off to the side, his back rested against the curve of a boulder with a knife in hand, whittling down the length of a narrowing stick. Further beyond, Ace sat atop another boulder, furrowed brow and unhappy gaze solidly on Chirp. He scoffed a bit as he plucked a cigarette from his lips and flicked it off into the grass. "Why we gotta keep them 'round, Tyler?" The wiry mercenary questioned as he pulled a crushed tin of rolled cigarettes from one of his coat pockets. "I mean shit, man. Ain't noth'n those two can offer us."

Tyler glanced up at Ace without turning his head, calling out to Chirp. "There is a critter behind the tree. If you kill it, we will eat it." He returned his focus to the sharpened stick in his grip, sliding the blade along its length to peel off more of the soft wood. Jezebel looked back at Tyler, then up to Logan who gave her an encouraging nod. Sai stepped back to observe, finding herself more interested in trying to locate the beast Tyler mentioned. She'd stare a bit baffled as she scratched at her cheek lightly.

Jezebel lifted the revolver again, focusing down the sight like before, except this time Logan remained standing behind her to provide a brace. He squinted into the distance as well, spotting a hint of movement just beyond the old, rotted tree. With gusts of winds stirring the plain from time to time, it made the shot that much trickier to land, especially for someone who'd only shot light-weight repeaters. As Chirp aimed, she poked her tongue out of the side of her mouth and pinched her teeth down, waiting for the right moment to shoot.

One shot rang out, followed by another as the gray-furred creature darted off to the right. A third blast barked out, zinging just passed the critter and sending dirt flying into the air. As Chirp's shots kept going wide, she grew ever more irritated. The revolver would send out further explosive snaps with each pull of the trigger until nothing remained but the clicking of an empty cylinder. With an angry huff, Chirp threw the revolver down and drew her sword, taking off after the small creature as it scrambled up a nearby hillside. Startled, Logan stood back and watched the show along with Sai, who wandered up and stood beside him.

"She's really determined, isn't she?" Sai asked, which caused Logan to slowly nod in response as they both watched her give chase. Tyler pushed himself up from his spot the rock, his fingers wrapped around the whittled stick. He slowly meandered over towards Sai and Logan, studying his handiwork before pausing beside them and focusing on the younger girl.

Chirp had managed to chase her prey halfway up the hill, swinging her sword wildly in an attempt to catch the critter in one lucky swipe. Despite all of her efforts, it seemed a futile task, her impatience with the wily 'dinner' causing her to grow more and more frustrated. As she swung, a narrow stick would fly past her with only the faintest hum as it embedded itself in the creature's chest. She paused with the blade raised high, looking from the twitching corpse back to the group, watching Tyler stuff his hands into his pockets and leisurely make his way his way back towards his rock of choice. With a slump of her shoulders, Chirp let her arms drop down and the sword rest loosely in one hand. Her expression curled into a sour frown at the fact Tyler had stolen her kill, but still, it was dead. Which meant food for the evening.

As the day faded into night, the storms moved in and pounded the outskirts with their elemental fury, forcing the group to head back into town. Clustered within a bar, Tyler, Sai, Logan and Ace sat around a well-used table with drinks in their hands. Tucked between Logan and Sai was Chirp, who fussed in her own seat with a sweet, non-alcoholic cider beneath her fingers. Logan rested a hand on the younger girl's shoulder to try and calm her nerves, as she was clearly shaken by the storms outside. "Are you okay?" Logan asked.

"No." Jezebel whimpered quickly as she pulled her legs up to her chest, feet hooked against the edge of the seat. Sai turned and studied Jezebel silently, her brow knitted up slightly in worry. Tyler watched for a moment, but soon returned his attentions to the deep brown stout he'd been nursing on for the past few minutes. Ace ignored the situation altogether as he poured himself another serving of a clear alcohol, which seemed to warm the shot glass he had poured it in. The mercenary let out a long sigh before slapping the table and shouting, "To us! Never gonna let 'em take us down. Hooyah!"

"Ugh..." Sai groaned, massaging her temples. "Just drink quietly for once, please?"

"What? Sai-girl, what's yer deal? You've been actin' all funny since th' outsiders started taggin' along."

"Enough," Tyler muttered. "You've voiced your displeasure, Ace. Let it go, or leave."

"Puh!" Ace snorted, throwing back the shot and letting out a hiss as it burned down his throat. "Y'can't make me leave."

Chirp shot up from her seat suddenly, which caused the group to pause and focus on her. She straightened up and glared at the much taller Ace who returned the glare and slammed his hands down against the table. He leaned forward, stooping down to nearly be eye-to-eye with the slender girl. The staring contest had begun. Logan slowly stood, intent on stopping the showdown, but was quickly pulled back down by Sai. Tyler drew his knife, seemingly unconcerned, and started to whittle a thin stick like he had done earlier. His focus seemed bent entirely on his new project. Across the way, the bartender had been keeping his eyes on the group. He tensed up and went to grab hold of the shotgun beneath the counters when a certain old, oriental man placed his hand over the barkeep's, shaking his head slowly as he watched with a bemused expression. Other customers in the bar would shift away and cluster together, the majority anticipating the tense standoff growing into an outright bar brawl despite Chirp's disadvantage in size and age.

The staring contest seemed to go on for some time, the atmosphere only growing tenser as it drew on. Ace's eyebrow began to twitch slightly, matched by a faint squint in Chirp's right eye as both of them slid into better positions. Her fingernails dragged against the pitted, unpolished wood, creating an annoying scratching sound. Ace's eyebrow twitched again as he flicked his gaze down, breaking the staring contest and prompting Chirp to leap on top of the table with her palm snapping forward, aiming squarely for the tip of Ace's nose. His head would snap back reflexively to blunt the force of the swipe, drawing his hands off of the table as she pressed the advantage. Each attack she delivered was relentless and precise as she swung her other hand in with a two finger point, attempting to jab his neck. With a snap of her wrist, Ace would find himself staggering back further with a noticeable look of pain crossing his features. Logan and Sai just stared in shock, opting to keep out of the way of this fight. Tyler didn't even move, despite the table shifting unpredictably and their glasses sending alcohol and cider spilling all around, only bumping the table with his knee to keep any liquid from spilling onto him. The other patrons in the bar were awestruck at the tiny girl's speed and aggressiveness, including the old man, who leaned against the bar and lightly drummed his fingernails against the lacquered surface as his dull eyes took in everything.

Chirp came in for another strike, aiming another two-fingered jab at the mercenary's shoulder. Ace pivoted and forced her strike to connect with his bicep, causing him to wince as pins and needles raced up and down his arm. Chirp drew back as well, balancing atop the table as her face contorted into a scowl, shaking the sudden pain out from her hand. Ace glared as he massaged his arms before charging forward, intent on evening the score as he swung his fist back for a punch. Chirp stood her ground, waiting until he committed to the swing before leaping off of the table. Ace manage to hook his free hand around her ankle as she tried to hop over him and used her momentum to sling Chirp back around, slamming her against the table and causing it to buckle under the impact.

It was then Logan reacted as he rushed towards Ace, shouting, "HEY ASSHOLE!" Logan reared back and sent a haymaker crashing into the mercenary's temple, sending the taller man pirouetting on one foot before he crumpled to the ground, out cold. Logan glared daggers down at the unconscious Ace for a moment before shaking his hand out and moving over to check on Chirp. To everyone's surprise, she started to stir on her own and slowly pushed herself back up onto her feet. Brushing herself off gingerly, she limped back to her seat and settled down again, staring forward quietly without a word. Sai and Logan looked worriedly at each other and then to Chirp, until they saw her scoop up her mostly spilled cider and begin to sip on it once more.

"...Well," Sai remarked dryly as she pulled a chair up and sat back down, "it's nice to see she's regained her confidence."

**_Two Years Later – Dahl Warship Prison Cells_**

The corridor was sparse, harsh lighting glowing down at regular intervals above in each direction. It possessed an ominous air, inviting the prisoners who were housed inside to entertain their fears of what could come. Some of the residents were shackled to the wall with chains, while others slept fitfully on the hard, unforgiving floor without as much as a blanket to keep them warm. Occasionally a guard would wander by, tossing in a rough scrap of cloth along with some choice words about the prisoner's future behavior.

"I don't like this." One of the guards said, standing guard near Tyler's cell. He was the only one confined on his side for the moment, Chirp having been locked in across from him. "It's not right, man. She's just a kid."

"She's wanted. There's a huge bounty on that kid. Can't say I blame the Admiral for taking advantage of it."

"I have a daughter her age," the Dahl guard muttered with a shake of his head, glancing over to where the young girl was curled up in the corner. "What did they say she's wanted for?"

"Dunno. Something about murdering a bunch of people, helping to fund a rebel organization, being an illegal." The second guard shrugged as he followed his compatriot's gaze. "Shame, really."

"Well, whatever it is…least we could do is give her a blanket and some food. She looks pretty freaked out."

"Careful, man. That kid killed a lot of our own trying to apprehend her. She's not as weak as she looks."

Just as the second guard finished speaking, a massive electrical burst sent sparks flying out into the hall, followed closely by the heavy thump of a small body hitting the back of the cell. The two guards quickly moved over to Chirp's cell to find her weakly dragging herself across the floor towards one of the beds. Spots of blood slid down her limbs and stained the scuffed metal, trailing from the burns left behind by the electrical field as she struggled to suck in air.

"Damn it," The first guard swore loudly, "this isn't right!"

"Nothing we can do about it." The other guard stated in a matter-of-fact tone as he grabbed the first's shoulder and forced him to turn away from Chirp's cell. Tyler had remained silent through the whole sequence, meditating as his gaze wandered from the cell guards back to his young charge. He released a small sigh and shook his head slightly, unable to do anything from within his cell's confines.

A second set of guards entered the cell block, dragging along Sai as the woman struggled to maintain her footing. She was covered in bruises and bloody cuts, her one good eye swollen nearly shut. "Put her in the cell with the other guy," one of the armored men ordered as he moved off to stare at Chirp through the crackling energy field. "This one's next."

"OI, ARSEHOLES!" Ace shouted from the cell to the right of Tyler's. "I'mma frickin' kill ya! YOU HEAR ME, YA SONS 'A BITCHES!?"

The armored guard turned slightly, looking over his shoulder with a low chuckle. "You'll get your turn soon enough, skag lover."

"Didja jes' call Sai a SKAG YOU – YOU!-" Ace made the mistake of trying to grab the bars, and was sent flying back painfully into the wall with a crash. He grunted and he slowly pushed himself up, the world spinning slightly as his body tried to process the electrical impulses and making it near impossible to climb to his feet. Ace let out a frustrated grunt and slumped against the wall.

As Sai was tossed into the cell to the left of Chirp's, she felt herself collide roughly with another body. As she slowly pried her swollen eye open, she found herself looking up into familiar locks of brown hair, matted down with dried blood.

"Oh god," She exhaled softly and carefully shifted herself around to get a better look at Logan. He slumped down onto his back as a pained groan escaped, whispering "Ch-Chirp..." before he fell back into unconsciousness. Sai could do little more than pull Logan gently against her body to provide some small comfort, knowing that should the bandit not survive, Chirp would lose the one thing that kept her sane.

The bars of energy that made up Chirp's cell door buzzed brightly for a split second before dissipating. The tendrils of energy had barely withdrawn before the young girl suddenly pulled herself up and raced forward, small hands whipping around towards whatever exposed gaps she could find in her captor's armor. However, despite her speed, the guards had a training and numerical advantage. She managed to thrust her fingers beneath the neck plate on one guard, causing him to stagger back into the hallway with a string of wheezing coughs. The second found himself stumbling off to the side, limping heavily as his knee was hyperextended. Her potentially lethal movements were halted as one guard managed to grab hold of her left arm, her reflexive strike meeting hard armor. She let out a small cry, which was muffled quickly by the remaining guards as they restrained her and cupped a hand over her mouth to keep her quiet. The heavily armored officer of the group gave a low, grating groan before motioning for his subordinates to begin moving out. "The Admiral wants to personally deal with you, brat."

Chirp felt her feet leave the ground as the guards lifted her up and carried her through the long corridor. Her eyes were focused forward, expression flat and level. As the group she had grown comfortable around grew more distant, though, she could feel her heart beginning to beat faster as fear began to creep in on her. As they moved closer to the Admiral's personal quarters, the general look and feel of the ship's interior seemed to grow more ostentatious, transforming from plain metal corridors to more detailed decorations. The floors were covered in thick, plush carpet, while the walls and ceiling were painted in neutral tones. Several viewports allowed for a view of the vastness of space, the edges framed with heavy draperies concealing armored shutters. One large door marked the entryway of the Admiral's Office, intricately furnished with red curtains cresting the top and billowing around the edges of the polished wooden doors. The soft, cream colored theme of the wall gave it a professional, but lavish feel.

The young girl dangled from the guard's collective grip as they stopped in front of the door, her feet pointed down and swinging to and fro in an attempt to reach the ground. She was about to try and break free again before the doors slid open, shocking her to stillness as a large office was revealed inside. Live plants flanked the entryway on both sides, with a bonsai perched on the corner of the large desk which took up a significant portion of the far wall. Dark brown curtains framed a view screen divided up into multiple different landscape shots of planets in the nearby systems. Behind the desk sat a somewhat plump man in his late 60s, a monocle pinched against his left eye. A long mustache curled slightly at the edges of his lips, overshadowed slightly by a somewhat pointed nose. He puffed on a thick cigar and exhaled, before waving the guards forward with a languid flick of his wrist. Chirp was more awe-struck then frightened by the situation, violet eyes flitting back and forth in an attempt to take in the display of wealth and splendor that she had never seen before.

"You may leave her there," the Admiral stated as he snipped the embers off the cigar and placed the remaining portion in a nearby holder. "I am certain this lovely young lady will not try anything while in my office." As he stood, his portly belly hovered over the edge of the desk. The guards gave a crisp nod and simply dropped Chirp gracelessly before spinning on their heels and marching out. She winced as she hit the ground and rolled onto her knees, twisting to glare behind her and give the guards duce birds for their time. The procession gave no indication that they noticed as the doors hissed shut behind them.

"Ah good. You must be...Jezebel was it? Or is it Chirp?" He questioned her in a boastful voice, far too relaxed and friendly for a man who spent his life killing people. "Call me Admiral. Everyone else does, at least."

He laughed aloud, ushering Chirp forward as he rounded the desk. The girl climbed to her feet and began to circle the Admiral, crouching slightly and regarding him with a suspicious glare. He laughed again, a bit louder this time. "Come, come! Don't be daft, girl. I'm not going to hurt you. There's a shower and a change of clothes in the next room. And when you're done, there will be food."

Chirp reluctantly looked around, and found a kimono on a thin rack not far from what she could only assume were the facilities. The Admiral's smile grew cheerfully as he wandered back to his desk and sat down. "Go on, go get cleaned up. I'll not have my guest smelling like an inbreed." She crept her way over towards the doorway, checking for anything that might be out of place. To her surprise, nothing seemed overly suspicious, though she silently questioned why he was being so nice to her, unless he had less then honorable intentions. With a slightly unsettled growl from the back of her throat, Chirp made her way into the bathroom, intent on taking advantage of the situation and at least washing off the accumulated dust and grime stowing away had brought. Within the facility she found a kosode to wrap around herself after cleaning, and once she re-emerged Chirp was greeted by a couple of women ready to help her into the kimono.

She couldn't remember the last time she had been treated as such. Chirp found the soft purple robes to be perfectly fitted to her, the color bringing out the violet of her eyes tremendously. Light accents of gold and pearl gave the kimono a royal appearance, her long hair allowed to flow beautifully down her back. As Chirp looked at the Admiral, she gave him a wary eye before finally demanding, "Let the others go."

Her bare feet carried her towards his desk, where the Admiral was reclining slightly in his seat. "I can't do that, lovely. And it isn't your place to order me. You're here because someone wanted you, unharmed." Chirp could feel her cheeks pale as she thought back to all the people she had angered. All the groups she had helped kill. All the criminals she had helped put behind bars. Her eyes narrowed on the Admiral as a frown crept onto her lips, drawing a loud laugh from the man. "Now, now, there's no reason to look so scared. You're too pretty to spoil it with such a face."

"Die in a fire, bitch," she responded quickly. Chirp felt something brush along the back of her neck, prompting her to turn curiously. With a confused expression, she found herself staring into two crystal green orbs. Sharp claw-like fingers wrapped around her throat, eliciting a choked gasp as she was frozen in place.

"Tsk, tsk, my dear! Did you truly believe you could run from me?" Mercury asked rhetorically, a malicious grin spreading across his lips. He could hear the Admiral laughing chortling behind him, apparently pleased with the theatrics.

"She's worth a lot of money. I expect twice as much from you for capturing her."

"Oh, you'll get paid," the red-headed bandit leader responded with a low chuckle as he lifted Chirp effortlessly off of her feet. Her hands would latch around his wrists as she dangled, gasping for air. Mercury didn't seem worried as he turned to face the Admiral, his other hand rising up with a card pinched between his index and middle finger. "It's all on there, Admiral. I am certain you'll find the amount...satisfactory." The Admiral grunted and plucked the card from Mercury's hold, twisting it back and forth as if admiring a work of fine art before setting it on the table with a boastful laugh.

"Oh, I'm sure. Now get off my ship."


	4. Chapter 4

**_Prison Cells_**

"Don't s'pose y'all know what time it is, would ya?" Ace questioned as he scooted over towards the front of his cell, craning a neck to try and get a better look into the one occupied by Sai and Logan. The female mercenary gave him a worried look as she tended to the bandit's injuries as best she could. Tyler remained silent in his own cell, keeping an ear open to the banter from the guards.

"I heard that girl got sold." One of the guards commented. "Some creepy guy wanted to buy her. I really hope the Admiral didn't stoop that low."

"What, you think that highly of the guy? He's probably nothing more than some rich old pervert with connections. Poor kid. Glad my wife isn't on this ship, or she'd have marched down to the Admiral's office and given him a piece of her mind."

The other guard laughed a bit. "That wife of yours sounds scary."

"Dude, you have no idea." The first guard glanced to the others in the cells as he adjusted his helmet, before asking, "Do you suppose they'll get sold off as well?"

"Maybe the woman. But the men will probably go in front of the firing squad."

"Harsh, man. Anyway, my shift's up. Have fun with Burgles."

"Yeah, as much fun as having your balls bitten off."

The two Dahl guards would wince at the thought, along with Ace as he grabbed hold of himself with a barely-audible whimper. Tyler stood and approached the bars, looking towards Sai with a faint frown. Once the two guards had moved off down the corridor, he called out softly, "Sai. Did they tell you anything?"

"Oh, only that I'm a bitch and deserve to die for getting a child involved in crimes against humanity. You know, the usual."

"You doin' okay, purdy lady? Been goin' nutty worry'n 'bout ya," Ace called from the third cell as he continued to try and get a better view of her cell. Sai sighed faintly.

"I'm fine. Logan is in pretty bad shape, though." She looked down at the unconscious man, her fingers worriedly snaking through the bloody locks of his brown hair. "Don't give up, Logan," she mumbled, "you're all she's got."

"I still say it's that frickin' kid's fault!" Ace announced loudly. "We wouldn't be 'ere if not fer her!"

"Ace, that's enough," Tyler rumbled, his back pressed to the wall beside the electrified bars. His arms were crossed over his chest as he gently tapped a beat against the cold metal. "We would have found our way here eventually, no matter if Chirp had joined with us or not."

Ace scoffed and spat back, "We'd been old 'n dyin' if she never'd joined us!" The lean mercenary gave a stubborn kick to one of the field emitters before muttering under his breath. "If nothin' else, 'least Sai'd be doin' better."

Tyler returned his attention to Sai's cell, studying her condition. He could tell she was in pain as she moved, likely dealing with broken bones that would need to be treated soon if she were to have any hope of recovery.

**_Admiral's Office_**

Jezebel dug her fingernails into Mercury's wrist as her she kicked her legs out into his torso. The impact surprised him enough to double him over with a pained grunt, giving Jezebel a brief moment of relief from the claws as she dropped to the floor in front of him. Mercury straightened slowly, his eyes blazing with a purple hue as his hand rose with the intention to strike Jezebel. "I won't fight you," Jezebel said quickly, cradling her neck, "or work against you, or anything. Just...make sure they're safe. Send my friends someplace away from here, where they can see a doctor. Please? Please, Papa..."

Mercury lowered his hand, the otherworldly glow disappearing from his eyes as he glared down at Jezebel. He ran his fingers through the short hair on his chin as he contemplated her request. "Papa...? You really do desire them to be safe, don't you?"

"Now wait just a god damn minute!" The Admiral pushed himself up from his seat quickly, his normally jovial features curling into a frown. Mercury flicked his hand towards the Admiral, sending crimson energy spiraling around the portly man's limbs and forcing him back down into his seat. "Do be quiet, please. I'm having a discussion with my daughter." He returned his hand to his chin and thought for several more moments before smiling maliciously.

"Very well. I believe you are desperate enough to do as I bid of you." Mercury stepped forward and wrapped his arm around Jezebel's small frame, tugging her close to his form with a twisted grin. The Admiral's protests continued, growing more frantic by the second, until there was the wet, sloppy sound of flesh being ripped open followed by a death rattle. Chirp had not seen it, but the sound caused her to tremble as memories of her first encounter with the Bandits flooded her thoughts. Mercury coiled his other arm around her, the two bathed in a violet glow briefly before disappearing, leaving nothing living in the office.

**_Phantom Stinger Ship – Bridge_**

When Chirp's focus returned, she found herself surrounded by the innards of a ship the likes of which she had never seen before. The vessel didn't look like anything human hands could craft, the walls fleshy and transparent, with what appeared to be large, vein-like structures embedded beneath. The hum of the engine was dull, but seemed to echo from all around her, the entire ship seeming to pulse in synchronized time. Mercury had apparently brought them to the bridge of the vessel, various seats and panels arranged about the bridge. One was clearly for navigation, another for communication, and a single larger seat sat in the center, with a smaller seat beside it.

Mercury found his way to the main seat in the center and sat back, drawing a tube from behind the chair and pressing it into a spot between his shoulder blades. He waved Chirp over as the ship's engines began to thrum faster and gestured to the smaller chair. "Come sit beside me. This is our ship now. Your home."

Chirp reluctantly moved closer, her head and eyes swinging back and forth as she studied everything, her expression a mixture of curiosity and fear. Her attention was abruptly focused out the front viewport as the unmistakable sounds of weapon systems powering up began. "Wait!" She shrieked, looking back at Mercury with a terrified expression. "My friends're still on that ship!"

"They certainly would have to be for me to accommodate your request, would they not, my child?"

"No, no! Please, please don't do this! Please?!" Chirp was nearly in tears as she dashed over and grabbed for Mercury's hand. It was eerily cold, almost like touching a cadaver. The shock of it forced her to jerk her hand away from him, though she still knelt at his side. "M-Mercury...Papa..." she whispered as tears began to spill down her cheeks, "Don't kill them. Please.."

Mercury glanced out of the corner of his eye at Chirp before sighing melodramatically. He wiggled his fingers at the Dahl ship, the guns unleashing a barrage of ammunition. It didn't take long for the other ship to begin to break up under the onslaught, tongues of flame flicking into the void before being suddenly snuffed. Bodies drifted among the wreckage of the hull, frozen in agonized poses. Chirp slowly crawled towards the view screen as she watched the ship tear itself apart, leaving her breathless and utterly heartbroken.

"Oops," Mercury announced with a devious smile. "I thought I was hailing them. I suppose that means you have no choice but to stay with me, hm? Are you hungry? I prepared a wonderful dinner for your return to the family." He chuckled lowly before standing and spreading his arms out. "Ah, it would be remiss of me to forget! Your husband waits for you in the dining hall. He's quite anxious to meet you, actually."

The young girl didn't seem to register what he had said as she stared at the scene before her, her faint sniffles fading. Mercury watched her quietly for a long time, contemplating what he might say next before her voice suddenly caught his attention.

"...I hate you."

The rage in Chirp's voice caused an eyebrow to arch, though the girl didn't even bother to turn and face him. She simply sat in front of the viewport, staring into space.

"I. Hate. You."

Her voice was flat and eerie, without a trace of any emotion. Mercury was silent for several long moments before he disconnected the tubes from his shoulders. "You should eat," he encouraged once again, as if she hadn't said anything. "Come, I will show you to the dining hall."

Chirp rose from her knees and slowly turned to face Mercury, her expression suddenly turning murderous. As she started to close in, Mercury tensed and lifted his arm with his palm aimed forward. His eyes narrowed against the hard look given by Jezebel, which seemed only to encourage her as the distance waned between them. Chirp's fingers curled into claws as she broke into a run, ripping at the air as she snarled. Every muscle in her small frame was filled with a terrible eagerness to disembowel the man where he stood. Before anything could happen, though, the young girl suddenly slowed to a stop.

"Wha-?" She looked startled, her hands soon reaching up to clutch the sides of her head. "Who...?" Mercury looked confused, silent until a slow smile began to curl his lips. As Chirp staggered forward, she let out a frantic cry , collapsing to her knees in front of Mercury. "S-STOP! IT...IT HURTS!"

His wicked grin only grew wider as he stepped back, letting his fingers curl in upon his palm before he dropped his arm back to his side. "What an intriguing turn of events," Mercury remarked with a hint of amusement as he turned on his heel and made his way towards the access door for the bridge. "Very intriguing, indeed."

Chirp tried to climb to her feet and follow, each attempt resulting in her dropping back to her knees. She clawed weakly at the air in front of her, her face twisted into a mask of pain.

"I – I hate you, Mercury..."

She curled up, shivering and sweating, until she fell unconscious.


	5. Chapter 5

Alright, Chapter 5 is now edited and updated. Thanks again for being so patiant while I do this. Hopefully it'll all be done soon :D**_  
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**_Phantom Stinger - Dark Room (Unknown Location)_**

"Those two are the only chance we have."

Chirp found herself drifting into an uneasy consciousness as she listened to a kindly male voice, echoing as if from a great distance. Her limbs were locked in place, and she could feel her throat squeezing against a thick tube as she tried to swallow reflexively.

"You must succeed, Mercury, or all is lost," stated the voice again. The words were delivered in a soft, almost dainty manner.

"Yes, yes," she heard her captor agree dismissively. "The girl is nearly ready. She's already showing signs."

"Very well. I expect a status report by the end of the lunar week."

Chirp cracked her eyes open slightly, Mercury's back coming into a blurry half-focus as her vision swam. He was leaning over a small device set up on a side table, elbow perched on the edge as he wiggled his fingers languidly into the air. "You'll get it as soon as I have it. Ta-ta." He pressed a single finger onto a slim depression in the device, the subtle hiss of white noise fading into nothing as the call ended. Before Chirp could try to comprehend what she just heard, she felt herself slipping back into the embrace of darkness.

**_One month later - Phantom Stinger – Jezebel's Sleeping Quarter_**

Chirp stirred slowly, fingers curling against what felt like soft sheets as her eyes opened. Feeling exhausted, she rolled over only to find herself suddenly dumped on the floor in a tangle of blanket, a pillow resting atop her head. Wincing, the girl freed herself and climbed unsteadily to her feet, glaring at the bench-like bed she had occupied before turning to take stock of the room she was in.

Her quarters were quite extravagant. Thick pillow rolls rested at the head of the bed, deep crimsons and browns delicately laced with hints of gold and green intricate embroidery. Tapestries complimented exquisite drapery strung about the room alongside thick curtains, adding to the lavish nature. A single table, carved out of a deep-cherry colored wood, sat in the center of the room, flanked by two chairs.

Chirp stretched, impressed despite herself at the luxury, and found herself dressed in a simple nightgown with her hair carefully braided down her back. Seeing no exits, she carefully tip-toed forward and began to run her hands through the wall hangings, finding two doors hidden along the far wall. One of the doors displayed a panel beside it, with a small speaker and button mounted inside. The other was partially cracked open, drawing her attention.

She took in a quiet breath and pressed herself against the door frame, leaning forward slightly to peer through the crack. Voices could be heard out of her view, one a young-sounding boy and another that was distinctly Mercury's.

"My...wife?" questioned the young man. He seemed unsure at best, and not in the slightest comfortable with the arrangements. "Wh-who is she?"

"Worry not, my boy," Mercury's voice followed quickly. "She's an orphan. With your help, she'll never have to be alone again."

"Alone? She's – she's alone, too?"

"Yes. All alone in this great, big universe. Like you."

Chirp could feel her jaw tensing as she listened in, practically seeing Mercury's cheshire grin in her mind. Her nails bit into the palms of her hands as he continued, "I'm certain that she's just _dying_ to get to know you."

"When will I meet her?" The boy's voice had taken on a hopeful tone, which somehow just made her mood sour even more.

"When she—Oh, it seems she's awake. Jezebel, where are your manners? Come in, come in! You've been keeping us waiting for far too long, now."

Chirp hesitated at the mention of the infrequently used name, before hardening her expression and swiftly pushing the door open.

"HUSBAND?!" She spat, door bouncing off the wall with a faint ring as she stormed in. The young man gawked in surprise, pressing his fingers to his lips. "Jezebel?" he asked carefully in a soft, aristocratic accent, before jerking his eyes to the side and crossing his arms across his chest shyly.

Chirp stared at the white-haired boy for several long moments, not bothering to respond to the awkward question. He wore a simple, white button down shirt with a banded collar and a pair of comfortable looking black slacks, the clothing bringing out his pale, almost translucent skin and soft gray eyes. He couldn't have been much more then 15 or 16 years old, with slightly pointed ears and a very slender build. She guessed that he was only about five and a half feet tall. She sent a glare towards Mercury, braid whipping about like a scorpion's tail, before suddenly storming towards the young man with venom in her voice. "If you so much as _think_ about me, I'll tear your fecking heart out and—..."

"I-I'm sorry!" The boy yelped quickly, curling up slightly and throwing her attempt at being tough completely off. She felt guilt tear through her, forcing her to clamp her mouth shut and try to come up with something else to say. To her surprise, she was at a loss for words. Mercury grinned and turned on his heel, making his way towards the door at an easy pace.

"This is Ryker. I expect you two to get along," the red-haired man called out over his shoulder. He paused at the doorframe and craned his neck to look back at the two with a deranged smile. "...Unless, of course, you would like to discover the consequences."

Mercury slipped through the doorway and disappeared, leaving the two youngsters stewing in an awkward silence. Ryker bowed his head down and bit his lip, soon enough pacing away from Chirp to give her space. She followed Ryker's movements like a cat, the scowl on her face clearly showing what she thought of the whole arrangement.

"Where'd he find you?" She finally asked, sitting down on one of the plush chairs.

"Uh," Ryker mumbled as his fingers nervously teased the cuffs of his shirt. "I-I don't re-remember, honestly..."

"You don't," she questioned sharply, "or you don't want to tell me?"

"I'm s-sorry."

Chirp jumped to her feet and quickly covered the distance between them, snapping, "Stop saying that! Look, we've gotta get out of here. That guy is a frick'n lunatic."

"Fricken?" Ryker looked puzzled, brow furrowing tightly. "What is...a fricken? Is that a curse word?"

Chirp stared in disbelief at him, her lips pressed into a thin line. "Yeah...it is. You know...frick'n, shit, damn it, son of a bitch, god shitter, wanger tanger, bean poling, cock muncher, bitter balls..."

"So, uh, creative," He commented, looking both awestruck and flushed. "Will you...teach me?"

"Oh for crying out loud!" Jez rolled her eyes and stepped up to him, sizing the boy up and down. "Fine, I guess..."

**_1 year later – Dining Hall_**

Ryker toyed with a spoon set on the side of his plate, staring at the gourmet meal with a distant look, seeming to have lost his appetite. Chirp sat across from him, staring at the off-white walls and plain-looking architecture of the dining hall. Her eyes wandered over to Ryker and finally came to a stop on Mercury, who was seated between them at the center of the table. He had a plate in front of him, but it was empty and seemed to be there more for show then any real purpose. Mercury returned her look and smiled his familiar, malicious smile, drawing an exasperated huff out of the girl. Ryker took note of the noise and turned his attention back to the untouched meal in front of him. As Chirp snatched up her fork and went to take a bite, Mercury clicked his tongue at her disapprovingly. She paused, the morsel of food nearly to her lips, and snapped, "Bite me. I'm hungry."

"It's rude to eat before Ryker," Mercury warned as he folded his long fingers atop the edge of the table. "You should wait." Ryker gave Mercury an uncertain look and turned his focus back to his meal before forcing himself to take his first bite. Chirp glanced over, looking slightly guilty at forcing him to eat, before rising to her feet and glaring at Mercury.

"Asshole."

Mercury stood as well, the move slower and more deliberate. Setting his napkin on the table, he began to circle the table towards Chirp. "Sit down," he demanded, causing the girl to tense and curl her fingers around the edge of the plate.

"Or what?" she challenged. "You've killed everything I loved. You took it all away."

Mercury set his jaw and looked back over his shoulder at Ryker, who simply blinked. "...What?"

"Yeah, one year ago today. My friends...all my friends are dead because of him! We're nothing more than puppets for his sick, twisted little game! You took everything away – from BOTH of us!"

"You insolent whelp! Cease this at once, or-" Mercury started, before being shouted down by Chirp. "Or what? You'll put us in more tubes and stick more shit into our veins?!"

Mercury scowled darkly as his composure began to slip, pace quickening until he towered over Chirp, his left hand clenched tightly into a fist. Chirp stubbornly remained where she stood, gripping the plate firmly between her fingers. Ryker stood as well, skirting around the table towards Mercury. He gripped a steak knife in his left hand, concealing it within the sleeve of his shirt while his free hand remained loose at his side.

"Is it true?" Ryker asked as he reddened from anger. "You did this to us?"

Crimson energy began to swirl around Mercury as he jerked his left hand forward, his nails forming into claws as he clamped down around Chirp's throat and jerked her upwards. As her feet left the floor, she brought the plate up and sent food flying in an arc across the room as she slammed the dish into Mercury's temple. At the same time, Ryker lunged forward, gripping the handle of the knife with both hands and driving it into Mercury's spine. The red-haired man grunted with pain, but his grip on Chirp's throat only tightened further, eliciting a gurgled cry from the girl. He turned, swinging Chirp around like a mace and sending Ryker flying, the young boy bouncing off the wall with a loud crack as his arm snapped. Chirp desperately tried to peel Mercury's thumb back, struggling against the weight of her own body as he reached behind him to pluck the knife from his back. Mercury let loose a low growl as crimson wings tore from his back and spread wide, glaring at Ryker for a moment before flicking the knife into the boy's palm, pinning his injured limb to the floor.

"ONE. YEAR." Mercury hissed as he turned, practically tearing the door open as he stalked down the hall. "One year I have kept you here. I have gone to great lengths to ensure that you survived. Do you understand why, you little witch?"

Mercury suddenly stopped, slamming Chirp against the corridor and drawing a mere breath away from her face. "Do you understand your PURPOSE!?" He reared back and slammed her fiercely against the wall, before dragging her along the bulkhead. The red-haired man ignored the fading cries from Ryker as they moved further into the depths of the vessel. The halls were as plain as the dining hall, and seemed to carry a bland, sterilized aroma that made them feel endless and grueling. Chirp struggled for air as Mercury abruptly smashed her face into a pair of double doors, forcing them open and introducing her to an area of the ship she had only ever dreamed of. It was a nightmare she found herself locked in every night, a place she had come to fear.

A single chair was set center of the room, with purple and blue lights spaced evenly around the circular confines. Clear tubes dangled about the room, a thick bundle leading into the machine at the ceiling in the center while others coiled into the wall panels. The walls themselves were translucent, with traces of the same organic-looking, pulsating tubes buried inside as the bridge. As she was roughly tossed into the chair, she could feel the restraints activate and lock her into place, hands bound by the wrists and legs locked around her knees, forcing her to bend slightly. With a panicked, pained cry, she felt needles pierce her Achilles tendons, causing her to thrash about before being confronted by Mercury.

"You are my final project. You are to become an angel, carrying my people's genetic history." He leaned in close, crystal green orbs meeting her own violet eyes as fear overtook her. Mercury cupped her chin with the tips of his claws and snarled, "We are dying. All of us!"

Chirp didn't respond, nearly mad with terror as she struggled to turn her head away. The red-haired man reached behind him and grabbed a small, purple tube, quickly bringing it around to press into her neck. The tiny prick of the needle made her shriek as fluid began to seep into her, purple veins bulging out all over her body.

"Only you can carry us into the future! You are the next step in evolution...The only one to survive the process, so far," Mercury hissed. Each moment seemed like an eternity of pain, the foreign fluid consuming her and twisting her very being into something inhuman. Suddenly, the pain magnified as she felt the injection of a second, and then a third needle, her heart thundering within the confines of her chest.

"No! Not another!" A young woman's voice echoed around Chirp, sounding frightened and weak. "I-I can't take this!" She snapped her eyes open, unable to make out anything but colors. She could feel the pain, but it began to slowly dull as her senses began to fail. Another voice, a man this time, caused her eyes to flit to and fro, searching for the source. "D-don't do it!" The voice pleaded. "You're killing us!"

She suddenly saw a red blur as Mercury moved around her, lingering in one place for what felt like hours before suddenly darting around and drawing another needle-tipped tube to press against her body.

"That's my boy!" Another male voice came, older and raspy. "Don't hurt my son, you monster!"

More and more voices began to shout out, growing louder over time. Chirp tried to scream, but she was drowned out by the cacophony of noise, eventually losing herself as her eyesight faded away.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 is now cleaned up. :D**_  
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**_Dining Hall_**

Ryker grabbed at the knife in his palm, grinding his teeth together and letting out a low groan as he began to pry it free from the deck plating. With a sudden scream, he managed to work the blade free and flung it across the floor, cradling his injured hand against his chest. Blinking back tears, Ryker pulled himself to a kneeling position and looked at the door that Mercury had taken Chirp through. The boy braced himself against the wall as he got to his feet, letting his wounded hand fall to his side. The action caused his arm to crack, drawing another pained cry from his lips as he doubled over.

His eyes wandered over the small pool of blood that had come from his hand, noticing that it looked...wrong. It carried a faint purple hue, glowing with a soft, almost imperceptible glimmer. He examined his hand again, before straightening up with shock and holding it in front of his face. The knife wound looked smaller, and the pain in his arm had turned only to a dull throbbing.

Ryker shook his head roughly, remembering that he didn't have time to ponder his physical oddities. Spying the knife where he had tossed it, the boy scooped it up and took off down the hallway, using the trail of Mercury's blood – at least, that's all he hoped it was – as a guide.

"Jezebel! Jez, where are you?! JEZEBEL!" Ryker called out.

The sound of Mercury's voice echoed down the corridor, the man screaming like a banshee as Ryker drew closer. As he reached the double doors, they hissed open softly, bringing him to a stop. Ryker swallowed hard, trying to calm his heart, and peeked inside, jaw going slack and eyes widening in shock as he tried to comprehend what he was seeing.

Mercury stood hunched over Jezebel's body, his clothes stained a deep-purple from multiple wounds across his wiry frame. His wings had been torn to shreds, bits of bone and sinew scattered across the room while only bleeding nubs were left on his back. Blood was splattered liberally on the walls, floor and ceiling, dripping in thick, oily strands in places. Chirp was strapped to the machine in the center of the room, all of the monitors around her flat lining, eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.

Mercury jerked unnaturally towards Ryker as the boy gawked from the entrance, green eyes wild and unhinged. "YOU!" The red-haired man spat, purple blood spraying from his lips. "How could I have been so BLIND!? _You_ have corrupted her. She is no longer compatible! _YOU DID THIS_!"

"Is – is she dead?" Ryker asked as he slowly stepped forward. The air seemed to grow tense as the distance between them waned. Mercury glared daggers at the boy before snorting. "Yes, you blasted fool! She's dead! Our last hope is DEAD!"

Ryker stopped next to Mercury, pale eyes staring blankly towards Chirp's body, "She's really...gone?"

Suddenly, Ryker turned on Mercury, fury in his eyes as he reared back with the knife. The red-haired man was taken by utter surprise, screeching in agony as the blade was jammed into his eye. Ryker shoved Mercury away and quickly went to work on Chirp's restraints, managing to free her as the other man writhed on the floor clutching his face. Sparing one last glance at his hated captor, Ryker clutched his wife close and took off running down the hallway.

Mercury ripped the knife from his eye and slammed it into the floor, pressing a hand over the socket as he stormed into the hallway. Crimson energy began to circle around his form, tendrils whipping chaotically and scarring the walls behind him. As the man came to a three-way split, he stopped and sent his gaze down each in turn. Hearing the echoing footsteps of his prey faintly in the distance, he raised a hand and conjured up three balls of energy, each roughly the size of his fist. With a gesture, he sent all three shooting down the hallways, leaving him alone to slump against the wall and plot.

Ryker gasped for air as he slapped his fully-healed palm on what felt like the last in an endless line of door panels, Chirp slung over his shoulder to allow him to manipulate the controls. He was greeted by a shuttle bay, occupied by a single, sleek-looking vessel resting at the far end. He grunted and furtively glanced about the bay for anyone that might try to stop them, only to have his attention drawn to the massive-looking planet that took up much of the hangar to his left. Storm clouds crossed the vast expanse, coming together in certain areas to form huge storms that flashed with lightning. He couldn't help but wonder what would happen if Mercury found them in there, with only a shield protecting them from the deadly vacuum of space.

The boy shook his head and jogged over to the shuttle, setting Chirp carefully against the edge of the craft as he hit the release switch. As the ramp began to lower, Ryker glanced back and noticed a red orb floating along a catwalk that stretched overhead of where he had entered. He anxiously watched the hovering ball as the ramp made contact with the deck, the noise drawing the orb's attention. Ryker lunged towards Chirp and hooked his arms beneath her armpits, dragging her backwards up the steps as the sound of footsteps became audible. Whimpering, the boy heaved her inside and slapped the inner control, spotting a smoke-like shadow at the end of the corridor before the ramp slammed shut.

"Feck me," Ryker moaned as he quickly found the shuttle's bed and secured Chirp onto it, pausing to run his thumb along her cheek before dashing to the cockpit. He flopped into the pilot's chair and stared at the utterly foreign layout of the controls. "Shit! Come on, Ryker...think! You can do this!"

He slid his fingers across the panel, causing letters, numbers, and alien symbols to spark into existence, projected above the control surface. Gaping in awe, he started committing them to memory as fast as he could before muttering, "Let's get the frig out of here."

"I don't think so," crackled Mercury's voice from the external com. Ryker felt a heavy thump as the shuttle shuddered, scrambling to his feet only to find the red-haired man blazing with crimson energy as he sank his claws into the front of the pod. Shadows begun to form from thin air and quickly coalesce around Mercury, amplifying his already wicked-looking grimace, "You shouldn't have done that, Ryker. Now your punishment will be severe. Isolation, no food...that will only be the start. Perhaps I shall clip your wings. _PERMANENTLY_!"

Mercury's expression suddenly shifted into confusion as he felt his hands begin to slip off of the shuttle, the clawed tips leaving slight scratch marks on the surface. "What...? What sort of devilry is this?!"

Ryker watched fearfully from the cockpit as the shadows rapidly ballooned in size before passing through Mercury one by one, sending the red-haired man staggering away and swatting at the air. It was the first time Ryker had ever seen him so surprised, which terrified the boy. Realizing he had a chance to escape once again, he swallowed hard and sat back down, fingers dancing over the panel until he happened to feel the engines hum to life. Gripping the holographic controls, Ryker eased the shuttle up and out of the bay as Mercury grappled with the shades.

The boy took a deep breath as the vessel that had been their home rapidly shrank behind them. He realized he was crying, tears rolling down his cheeks as the enormity of what they had just been through hit him. Lifting his hands from the controls, he glanced back at the chamber Chirp was in before letting himself sink into the chair.

"...Jezebel...How am I going to tell her Mercury's my father? She hates him so much. I-I wonder if she's going to hate me, too?"

Ryker took a deep breath and glanced back again, nearly jumping to his feet as he realized the shadows that had been attacking Mercury earlier were swirling about the cabin. The sudden motion sent the little shuttle pitching violently upwards, throwing Ryker back into his seat. Panicked, he slapped the controls until the auto-pilot took over and twisted out of the chair, running back to Chirp's aid.

Just as Ryker crossed the barrier of the cockpit to the cabin, he collided with a giant of a man. Tyler glared down at the boy as he stumbled back into the cockpit, clutching his nose.

"How did you get – Never mind, what are you doing to her!?" Ryker demanded as Logan peered around the taller man's shoulder.

"That ain't important right now. That's my kid you got holed up back here, brat." Logan stated bluntly as he delicately combed his fingers through his long brown locks of hair. Ryker took another step back as Logan slipped past Tyler and entered the cockpit, frowning deeply. "What exactly did Mercury do to Chirp?"

"Ch-Chirp?" Ryker stuttered, confused. "Her name is…Chirp?"

"Mhm," Tyler grunted before turning around, giving the two in the cockpit a bit of privacy. Logan folded his arms across his chest as he stared down at Ryker, eyes glinting in the dim glow of the instrument panel. "You take advantage of her?"

"Wh-what? I-I would never...!"

"I swear to God if I find out you've done something to her..."

"Oh, for cryin' out loud. Stop scaring the kid, Logan!" Sai chimed in, hidden behind Tyler's much larger frame. "She's just sleeping. The spirits kept her soul inside so she wouldn't die. It'll just take a little time for her to come back to the world of the living again – so to speak."

Ryker's expression shifted from terrified to overjoyed almost as soon as Sai finished, eliciting a confused frown from Logan. "Wait, y-you mean she isn't dead?" Ryker questioned.

The bandit just sighed as he turned, giving Ryker a warning glance as he pushed past Tyler back into the cabin. The larger man stepped to the side quietly, much quieter then Ryker would have expected, before clearing his throat and gesturing with a jerk of his chin towards where Chirp lay resting.

"Has anyone come back undamaged?" Tyler asked.

The question made Logan and Ryker look to Tyler, searching the worried wrinkles on his face before turning to Sai. She sighed and shook her head, sending her braid swaying back and forth.

"Everyone comes back different. They've touched death. It's unlike anything we've ever experienced."

"Aw, sonofabitch," interrupted Ace as he stepped out from the restroom and stared at Ryker, looking thoroughly unimpressed. "Now we got TWO kids? This's gettin' re-goddamned-diculous!"

Logan flipped Ace the bird before advising Ryker loudly, "Feel free to ignore the dumbass, kid."

"My, uh...my name is Ryker," he finally managed to say, eyes flicking across everyone's faces before settling on the door to the sleeping quarters, brow furrowed in concern. "Jezebel...that is, Chirp...she's my wife."

The mood in the tight confines instantly chilled at Ryker's words. Logan slowly straightened up and stared hard at the boy, fingers curling slightly around the butt of his pistol before asking flatly, "She's...your what?"

Tyler shifted forwards a bit, moving to put himself between the two, before Logan gestured for Tyler to stay put. "Repeat that again. Now."

"Mercury...married us while she was in a coma, recovering from...the experiments," Ryker said, feeling a sudden knot develop in his stomach. Everyone stared in disbelief for several long moments before Ace scoffed and leaned against the wall, sliding down until he was sitting. "Cool, whatever. Good fer you. No more kids, a'ight? Else Imma start feed'n 'em to th' bandits m'self."

With that, the uncomfortable atmosphere seemed to break. Sai rolled her eyes and moved over to where Ace was slumped, dropping to her knees and peering into his eyes from mere inches away. The wiry mercenary blinked and opened his mouth, only to yelp as Sai grabbed his nose and twisted hard. "WHAT THE FECK?!" Ace swore as he clutched his now-bleeding nose, scrambling to his feet and moving back into the restroom.

"Uh." Ryker stared at the group, confusion evident on his face as he milled uneasily at the door separating the cockpit from the cabin, fingers nervously tugging and creasing the edges of his sleeves and collar. "H-How did you all g-get on board?"

Sai offered a small smile towards Ryker and teased, "We're ninjas."

Ryker looked even more confused at that. "You don't wear masks, though. And I can..."

Tyler chuckled deeply as he stepped over to stand near Chirp. "She was kidding. We hid in the restroom when you showed up with Chirp. It was the ideal situation – minus her condition." He gave one brief nod towards Chirp as he lost the humor in his voice. "We were able to escape before the ship we had been on was blown to pieces by Mercury. We found ourselves on his ship shortly after, though we're not exactly sure how."

The giant of a man looked back down at Chirp with a knitted brow as Sai reached up and gave him a reassuring squeeze. "It was a good thing, despite all of our concerns."

"So here we are," the one-eyed woman said briskly, waving her hand back to encompass the little shuttle. "Now if I remember correctly, you were saying something about your dad?"

"Erm, yes. Well." Ryker tensed up at the sudden change in topic, shifting his eyes towards the cockpit and staring at the stormy planet that was slowly growing in size. "My mother was human. My father...My father belongs to a race that is nearly extinct."

The group focused intently upon Ryker as Sai gently toyed with Tyler's dreadlocks, looking slightly bored despite being the one to pose the question. Ace stepped out of the restroom in time to notice and gave a disgruntled glare at the back of Tyler's head.

"Humans called them angels, though not in the biblical sense," Ryker continued. "It was a long time ago, yet they adopted the name nonetheless." The young man folded his arms across his chest and sank against the doorframe, looking ill at ease as he recounted everything. "Father never told me what they were really called, and – well, I guess it doesn't matter. He was given the task to find subjects for experiments into expanding our genetic diversity, something to stave off the end that looked inevitable. He asked me to help him, at first...I guess he figured that since I was part human that it would keep the subjects calmer."

Ryker paused, taking a breath and licking his lips, suddenly aware of just how dry his throat was. Taking a moment to compose himself, he continued, "At first, it wasn't too bad. He had me talk to them and tend to them after the experiments were finished. Then he started acting strange after a while...he stopped letting me see what was going on, like he was pushing me away. Then I met..." His eyes flicked up to the room where Chirp was resting, falling silent for several seconds before finding his voice again. "...I met Jezebel. She told me what she had been going through, and then I saw what he was doing to her – to all of the ones he had taken in. I-I couldn't stand it any longer."

Logan snorted as the boy finished his tale, folding his arms behind his neck and leaning back. His eyes locked with Ace's for a moment, before the lean mercenary swore loudly and stormed forward, shoving Ryker back into the co-pilot's chair as he took control of the ship.

Sai frowned slightly at the outburst and pushed herself up, quietly moving to join Ace as Ryker scrambled out of the cockpit, looking terrified. Logan moved away, thumping against the door to the sleeping quarters that Chirp occupied and leveling his gaze on Ryker. Tyler glanced between the two, taking note of the bandit's obvious displeasure, before rumbling, "Please, don't take offense. It's been a rather trying time for all of us. How old are you ,son?"

"I'm sixteen." Ryker responded, eyes flicking from Tyler's face to Logan's frown.

"Chirp is..." Tyler started, before being suddenly cut off by Logan. "Where's your mom?"

"She's – I don't know. Father only mentions her in passing. Sometimes it sounds like he's talking to her, but if she was ever on board, I never saw her. It's been over a decade, actually..."

Logan's brow furled. "What kind of asshole would keep his kid's mom away from him?"

"The kind that might be ashamed," Tyler simply responded as he rolled his fingers against his knee thoughtfully. Ryker and Logan looked at Tyler with a questioning gaze. Ace suddenly stormed his way out of the cockpit with his hand cupped under his nose again, Sai briskly walking out afterwards with an unhappy grunt and pushing past the bandit into where Chirp was resting.

No one said anything, the attention slowly moving back to Ryker, as if prompting him to answer Logan's question. The boy fidgeted with his shirt sleeve and murmured, "I...do not believe him to be as terrible as you think. Sometimes I wonder if he had any choice in the beginning, or if he was forced into it..." The boy wiped at his face roughly, flushing scarlet with embarrassment. "H-He told me my Mother died when I was very young. He never liked talking about her. It always seemed like it was painful for him to remember, like the thoughts were too terrible for him to stand..."

"FER CRYIN' OUT LOUD, CUT THE FECK'N SOB STORY!"

Everyone jerked around towards the bathroom, where Ace's head was poking out from around the corner and glaring daggers at Ryker. More toilet paper was stuffed into the mercenary's nose, giving him what looked like large tusks dangling down. Sai leaned out from the bedroom and stared, her face and neck turning dark purple as she tried to hold back laughter. Tyler grinned and cupped his chin to try and maintain some dignity, while Logan was doubled over and guffawing uncontrollably into the deck plating.

"What!?" Ace barked huffily as he slapped his hand against the doorframe, his shouts causing the toilet paper to twitch back and forth. "What's so FECK'N FUNNY!?" Sai just pointed and started giggling and snorting, unable to help herself. The lanky mercenary's face started to pale from mortification, and he glared once more at Ryker before slipping back inside the bathroom to nurse his wounded pride.

Ryker took the chance to slink back to the cockpit, sitting down in the empty room and staring at the planet below that stretched from edge to edge of the canopy. Glancing over his shoulder at Sai and Logan trying to recompose themselves, he questioned, "How did...how did Jezebel – uh, I mean, Chirp? What exactly happened to her family?"

Sai looked over at the boy, wiping tears from her eyes as she straightened up. "Sky Pirates," she answered simply, her features quickly going neutral. "Her family had been returning home when their ship was ambushed. She said that their ship had been forced to crash-land, and people started disappearing one by one..."

She turned and peeked into the bedroom, checking on Chirp while Ryker pondered the news. Her eyes lingered on the younger woman's right arm, where a bandage had loosened and exposed strips of her skin. Mixed in with thin scars was the edges of a six pointed shuriken carved into the underside. Before she could investigate any further, Logan called out, "Sky Pirates?"

"That's all I know," Sai replied with a light shrug, pushing the odd marking to the back of her mind for the moment. Jutting her chin towards the cockpit, she added, "We should be nearing our destination soon. We'll need to brace for the storms, so be prepared."

Ryker turned back towards the viewport, noticing something odd in the storm system that they were closing in on. "Uh, guys?" Tyler climbed to his feet and walked into the cockpit, followed closely by Logan. The two men peered out before the big mercenary gestured for Ryker to stand up.

"Bugger," Logan commented as he hopped into the seat, fingers flying over the controls as Ryker retreated behind Tyler. "Is that what I think it is?" Tyler leaned forward as display screens materialized and began streaming data.

"Mhm," he finally concluded with a nod, "It is. Have they noticed us?" As soon as the words left his mouth, the ship jerked hard to the left, nearly dumping everyone not seated onto their sides. Logan looked warily at the controls as he buckled himself in, quipping, "That answer your question? We're being pulled in, mate."

Far below, a massive Dahl ship broke through the clouds and rapidly rose up to meet the tiny shuttle. As the invisible tractor beams pulled the shuttle in, the display would chime, revealing that they were being hailed by the other ship. "G-go hide," Ryker hissed to Tyler and Logan as he darted into the co-pilot's chair. "I-I can d-do this."

"Are you certain?" Tyler asked with a healthy dose of skepticism as he crept back into the cabin, Logan hesitantly following.

"D-do we have a ch-choice?" Ryker stammered back. Logan scoffed as the doors slid shut, leaving the boy alone to answer the hail.

On the screen, a thin male with a long goatee phased into existence with a firm gaze settled on Ryker. He looked like a career officer, the dark brown of his hair and beard speckled with gray. Over his eyes he wore a pair of simple glasses which framed his narrow face quite well.

"This is Captain Bernard McKenzick of the Dahl Corporation, Fleet Identification Number 2877-94. We are responding to a distress call originating from this sector. Are you in need of assistance?"

Ryker looked a little surprised, not having expected his father to have resorted to a distress call. "N-No, Captain. Our coms haven't picked up anything. We're on course towards—..."

Captain McKenzick raised a hand suddenly, looking to the side as another man leaned down, the lower portion of his face coming into view. He whispered into the Captain's ear, eliciting a slight frown from the man before withdrawing.

"Unidentified vessel, prepare to be boarded," Captain McKenzick stated tersely, the view screen dissolving immediately afterwards. Ryker paled, his stomach twisting into knots. "...Feck me..."

"SO!" Logan called out with false cheer, a sarcastic smile plastered widely on his face. "You'll handle it? Why, if I didn't know better, I'd guess that you completely screwed it up!"

Ryker slumped into the chair, muttering, "I don't understand. Dahl doesn't just randomly board passenger shuttles...!"

"Worry about that later," snapped Sai from outside the cockpit. "We should hide Jez's body. It looks like there's a storage compartment beneath the floor plates in here." She knelt down at the edge of the floor plate, fingers curling around a small hook. She gave it a tug and revealed a cubbyhole that looked just large enough to fit Chirp inside. "Quick, bring her here," she ordered as the ship began to vibrate as it was drawn towards the Dahl vessel's docking bay.

Logan looked back, watching Tyler emerge from the bedroom with Chirp cradled in his arms. Sai helped guide the young woman into the lower compartment, wrapping a blanket around her to keep her comfortable. "She should be safe," she said reassuringly as she sealed the hatch and climbed to her feet, watching the docking bay yawn open in front of them. Ace reached out and grabbed her shoulder, giving Sai a squeeze as he drawled, "Don' worry none, purdy lady. Not like th' accommodations can get much worse."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 is now all edited. Almost done with all the current Chapters. Then I can start posting up new Chapters again. YAY!**_  
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**_Dahl Ship – Docking Bay_**

Ryker slowly walked out of the shuttle, furtively glancing about the shuttlebay. The tension in the air was palpable as a detachment of men came in from the far side of the hangar and began to surround the small vessel, weapons trained on the hatch. A slender young woman stood among them, her uniform the pinnacle of ordered perfection as she looked the young man over with a raised brow. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a severe bun, not a single hair out of place.

"May I ask why a child is flying a stolen shuttle?"

"Pardon, Ma'am...but it's r-rude to ask wi-without introduction," Ryker responded nervously as he lightly wrung his hands. The woman glanced subtly to the side, prompting two men to break away from the formation and move into the shuttle's interior. A wide grin crept across her lips at Ryker's flustered expression as she stated, "1st Lieutenant Alexaydra Naulost. I have no desire to harm a boy, so please answer the question." The confidence in her voice was like a hammer, and Ryker could feel his resolve weakening.

Before he could speak, the sound of a scuffle from inside the shuttle distracted him. Ace suddenly appeared in the doorway, going airborne before hitting the deck with a hollow thunk and skidding forward. Tyler came out next, though his tumble was much more eloquent and controlled. Logan staggered out third, followed by Sai, who had her arms pinned to her sides by the two soldiers.

As several more soldiers broke off from the formation to seize the three unescorted prisoners, Tyler looked up into Alexaydra's eyes, his mouth dropping open in surprise. She matched his expression, her formerly imposing manner giving way to confusion.

"Tyler?" she blurted. The tall man was silent for several moments before he looked away. Alexaydra looked briefly hurt before a cold anger washed over her face. "Take them to the brig – except the girl. She is to be escorted to my quarters."

One of the guards – probably the ranking man of the detail, Ryker thought – looked over at the Lieutenant as he clung tightly to Sai's arm. "Ma'am?" The other guard holding Sai looked uncertainly at Alexaydra as well, prompting her to stiffen.

"Do NOT question my orders. Now, MOVE IT," Alexaydra snapped. The soldiers looked visibly shaken as they began to carry out her orders, the three men being secured and hauled to their feet while Sai was taken away.

Tyler was quiet as he was marched along, eyes boring into Alexaydra. She returned the cold stare without a word until the giant moved past. Ace whined as he stumbled along, "Why's he always gettin' the hotties? Hey lady, take ME to yer quarters too, eh? Howsabout a li'l fun?"

The guards alongside the loudmouth mercenary glanced at each other before nodding, rearing back and slamming the butts of their rifles into the back of Ace's skull, knocking him out cold and sending him crashing once more to the floor. Logan just let out a grumbling sigh as he watched the scene play out, muttering under his breath to his own escort, "Please, for heaven's sake, don't think all of us act like that idiot." The guard simply stared at the bandit and nudged him lightly with the barrel of his rifle, giving Logan all the incentive he needed to shut up and keep moving.

"Ma'am," a guard called out, peeking out from inside the shuttle. "We've found something else."

Logan turned as he neared the door, Tyler slowing to a stop at the doorway and craning his neck to look over his shoulder. Another guard stepped out of the little craft, holding Chirp loosely in his arms. "It seems they were transporting a dead body, Ma'am."

"Ugh, this is despicable," the Lieutenant responded as she stepped towards the guard. She looked down at Chirp, her features softening as she reached out to touch Chirp's limply-hanging arm.

"NO! LEAVE HER ALONE! GOD DAMNIT, THAT'S MY DAUGHTER!"

Alexaydra's hand jerked back as everyone stared at Logan, who had gone red in the face as the guard restrained him. She raised an eyebrow as she glanced back to Chirp, before giving a little laugh. "Daughter? Don't be silly. You're hardly more than a boy." With a single wave of her slender fingers, the guards quickly pushed Logan and Tyler on, the bandit screaming and fighting all the way. As the access doors leading out of the hangar began to close, the two men could faintly hear Alexaydra order, "Take her body to Zofeya. She's a – collector of sorts."

"Y-Yes, Ma'am," the guard carrying Chirp reluctantly responded. Just before the hatch closed completely, a final, defiant cry from Logan rose up, echoing throughout the hangarbay and causing the Lieutenant to shudder slightly. She reached up and brushed a few strands of hair from out of the unconscious girl's face, quietly whispering, "Please, don't think of me as evil."

**_Alexaydra's Quarters _**

Sai sat in a chair in the middle of the room, wrists bound to the seat behind her back. As she waited for Alexaydra, she took the chance to survey her surroundings, her one good eye roaming over several items as if she was searching for something in particular. The room was simple and rather spartan in appearance, with cream colored curtains draped along a viewport that looked out on the chaotic cluster of storms below. The bed was neatly made, a single jade green blanket resting on top of a nondescript white sheet, with a plain pillow resting at the head. There were more storage areas than anything else around the room, some hanging partly open to reveal hanging uniforms within, or freshly pressed skirts, pants, and blouses. A single bamboo plant sat next to the window along with a small music box.

As Sai finished scoping out the room, she settled back into the chair and sighed, only to open her eye again as the door slid open and revealed Alexaydra. She stepped inside the room and palmed the panel next to the door, giving Sai a stern frown as the door hissed shut behind her.

"What the HELL is wrong with you!?" Alexaydra started as she stormed towards the bound woman, her formerly calm exterior melting away. "Are you CRAZY!?"

"No..." Sai responded with a slump of her shoulders, relieved that the other woman's stiff demeanor had faded. Alex's gaze bore into the top of Sai's head.

"Do you have any idea how worried Mom is? My God! She's hardly had a decent night's sleep since you disappeared FIVE YEARS AGO!"

"Five?" Sai muttered as she started to wiggle trying to escape the binds. Alexaydra rolled her eyes and snorted as she walked behind her sister and began to roughly tug at the restraints.

"And Dad...He nearly had a stroke when he saw the bounty on you! Do you have ANY IDEA how much trouble you're in!?" Alex asked sharply.

"With Mom and Dad or—"

"Both." Alex stood up as Sai's bindings fell to the floor, folding her arms across her chest. "You have a massive bounty on your head. No doubt the Captain'll take advantage of it."

Sai stood up and stretched a bit, massaging the feeling back into her wrists. "Ah, that," she stated with a light shrug, smiling unconcernedly. Her sister responded with a wary glare, one boot tapping relentlessly against the deck.

"Don't give me that look, Sai. You're in pretty deep, especially with that dead body on board."

Sai's smile dropped instantly, her facing going pale as she stared at Alexaydra. "What?"

"You did know you were carrying a corpse, right? Girl, about 13-ish? Not sure how you preserved her so well...I hope you weren't intending to sell her on the black market."

As Alex spoke, Sai began to shaker her head quickly from side to side before she lunged forward and gripped her sister's arms. "She's not dead!"

Alexaydra's expression morphed from stern, to confused, to horrified. "Repeat that?"

"She ISN'T dead. Dear God, Alex, what did you do with her!?"

"She was sent to –..."

"Oh no..."

"Zofeya," the two women whispered in sync.

**_Zofeya's Garden_**

The guard carried Chirp's limp form through a plain corridor, little more than white walls. Past the dull vestibule, the surroundings abruptly turned into a lush garden, thick with color and life that seemed to grow and consume the surroundings. High above were window panels ringed with UV lights, which were currently dimmed to simulate evening hours. Long pathways of white stone snaked through the foliage, the intricate designs carved into the pale surface complimented by the rich greens and splendid multicolored flowers that were sprinkled about the greenhouse. The quiet rush of small waterfalls filled the air, along with the gentle babble of streams that trickled beneath wooden bridges.

A single bench sat in the center of the garden, with a red umbrella and a single copper lantern hooked to the top of the seat back. As the guard drew near, the umbrella shifted as a single woman rose up from beneath it. Her hair was long and a deep, rich dark brown, with golden ornaments laced throughout. Her features were pale and ethereal, accented by her painted cheeks. As she turned, layers of gold and purple swirled delicately about her small frame. Her lips lacked a smile, but her eerie golden-green eyes seemed to illuminate with a smile of their own accord.

"Set her here," the woman commanded. Her voice was cold and clipped, harshly at odd with the vibrant life that surrounded her. The guard did not hesitate, dropping down to one knee and spreading Chirp out at Zofeya's bare feet before rising back up and pulling away. She dismissed him with a wave of a slender hand, and he quickly hurried out, not wanting to know just what the Geisha had in store for the young girl's body.

Soon she was joined by another, whom crept from the side of the garden with a pipe hung from his lips. His gnarled fingers teased at his long, gray goatee, twisting around the small beads that had been braided in here and there.

"Hmm...I remember this one," the man murmured to Zofeya with a slow nod of his head. "She was there. Do you remember?" As he exhaled, he bumped the ridge of his glasses with his thumb knuckle to push them more securely against the bridge of his nose. The Geisha gave not the slightest expression as she studied the limp girl, kneeling down at her side and tracing her fingers along the young girl's cheek.

"I remember," she responded. "Do you believe her truly dead, Master Gin?"

"Her? No, no. I sense too much life still in her. But her soul, there is little doubt it is in great pain. Ah," Gin lifted his hand to the air, with one finger extended as if to make a point. "I know just the thing."

He turned with a slight wobble to his step and slowly made his way to a small tray that sat just outside the center of the garden. Arranged on it were various bottles, a mortar and pestle, a dish of clear water and a small bulb syringe. He picked up two bottles and poured a tiny amount of each into the mortar, then plucked a single pedal from a nearby flower to add to the mix. The aroma was sweet, but quickly turned bitter and overwhelming as the old master began to grind away. The Geisha's normally expressionless features contorted at the scent, forcing her to bring the edge of her sleeve up to press against her nose in an attempt to find relief. Gin ground the mix until it became a fine paste, then waddled his way back over to the two women.

"Now then," he stated, settling down on the ground opposite of Zofeya. The wizened old man dipped his thumb into the mixture and began to spread the reddish paste across Chirp's body. He swept a thick line across her forehead, then dabbed her chin, wrists, and ankles before spreading the remainder over her heart. Gin begun to chant under his breath as he took his pipe and tapped the embers against the paste, setting it alight for a few moments before blowing the flames out. The smoke that rose up carried with it a much different smell, one that was quite intoxicating as it mingled with the natural perfumes of the flowers. As the Geisha watched, Gin continued to chant, only pausing every so often to take a drag from the pipe and billow smoke out of the corners of his mouth. At last, he fell silent and braced his arms against his thighs, eyes focused intently on Chirp's face. Zofeya sat as well, her hands folded elegantly on her lap as silence settled once more in the garden.


	8. Chapter 8

Whee! Chapter 8 is all updated. Enjoy!

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**_Cellblock A1 – Dahl Ship_**

"HEY!" Ace shouted, "I'm talkin' to ya, dumbasses!"

Tyler sat at the rear of the cell, watching Ace yell himself horse with his arms folded. The big man glanced over at Logan, who was propped against the wall next to him, and noted the bandit's eyebrow was twitching ever so slightly.

"LISSEN TA ME, ASSHOLES! YOU GOTTA LOTTA GUTS IGNORIN'—..."

The rest of the tirade was interrupted by a sudden thunk to the back of Ace's head, the mercenary nearly headbutting the old-fashioned cell bars that held them captive. Clutching his head, he looked down at the boot that had collided with his skull before turning to glare at his two cellmates. Tyler made a show of inspecting one of the walls while Logan stretched nonchalantly, wiggling his now-bare toes.

"Aw, yer a buncha freakin' comedians," Ace grumbled as he kicked the boot back towards Logan. "Don' s'pose y'all have anything better t'do than chuck shoes?"

"Well, since you asked so nicely," Logan began as he scooped the boot up and began tugging it back on, "there are a few things we could ALL be doing. We could be trying to figure out how to break out. Or where they're holding Sai and Chirp. Anything, really, other than SHOUTING LIKE AN IDIOT!"

Ace stared at Logan for several long moments before snorting, leaning up against the wall next to the cell bars. His tirade finished, the bandit shook his head and let out a heavy sigh before glancing over to Tyler. "So," he asked, "just how does a mercenary-for-hire know a Dahl officer?"

Tyler's eyes flicked over to Logan before he squeezed them shut and let out a long groan. "...She and I were to be wed."

"Whoa dude, fer serious?" Ace piped up from across the cell, a quizzical look plastered across his face. "Y'nearly tied the knot with 'er?"

"Nearly," Tyler repeated. The big man took a deep breath before continuing. "On the day of the ceremony, her parents came to me with...a proposition. Somehow they had discovered that I had once done some wetwork for Atlas Corporation. Worse still, they had managed to dig up a list of...'old contracts', if you catch my drift. One in particular – a baron who was accused of corporate terrorism by Atlas – was apparently a rather close friend and ally of the family."

Tyler paused and scuffed his boot on the floor, fingers drumming lightly against his bicep. His eyes had a far-off look in them, as if he was reliving the events.

"I was given a choice. I could either leave and keep far away from the entire family, or stay and face the consequences."

"So you...just up and left?" Logan asked with eyebrows lifted curiously. "At the altar and all that?"

"No. It was much messier than that. Her family wanted to see me dead either way, so they had told her first." Tyler frowned as his eyes snapped into the present, resting his head against the cold metal. "She tried to kill me then and there. Sai was the only reason I didn't die."

"...Didja sleep with 'er?" Ace interrupted sharply, murderous intent evident on his face. "Didja violate mah girl?"

Tyler glanced over, uncrossing his arms and placing his hands on his knees. "Last I checked, she didn't even know you at the time, Ace," he responded flatly.

Logan looked uneasily between the two mercenaries, watching Ace turn multiple shades of red as he ground his teeth. "You wanna mess with me, Tyler? I'll frickin' end you. Right here, right now."

Tyler slowly rose to his feet, towering over Ace as the two stared each other down. They were slowly inching closer together, only to be interrupted by Logan's much calmer voice as he stepped in between them and reached for their shoulders. "Hey, come on, now..."

The bandit's plea was abruptly cut off as Tyler and Ace both grabbed his wrists and began twisting. "Okay, okay!" Logan yelped as he pulled back, massaging his wrists as he pressed himself into the corner. "You two have fun screwing around. I'm just gonna be here, trying to figure out how to save the two most important women in our lives..."

Almost before Logan's back hit the wall, Ace lunged forward and swung a right hook at Tyler's temple. The larger man deftly caught the blow in his hand. Undaunted, Ace swung his left hand in for a kidney punch, only to meet the same fate. Suddenly, Tyler's normally-composed face twisted into a mask of naked rage, and he bodily lifted Ace clear off the ground and stomped forwards, slamming the lanky mercenary into the bars on the gate. Ace tried to break free, but he was completely outmatched by Tyler's size and strength. He started to panic as the bones in his ribs began to give against the increasing pressure Tyler was bringing to bear, staring wide-eyed into the big man's murderous gaze.

"Do you really think I would violate the vows to my fiancé with her own SISTER?!" Tyler roared, inches from Ace's face. Both Logan and Ace stared at Tyler in awe and fear, never having seen him show so much emotion. He continued in a quieter, but no less softer tone, "She was my first love. My ONLY love. I would have given up my master and my training in order to experience a life at her side, had it all worked out."

Abruptly, Tyler released Ace and returned to the far wall, sitting down and folding his arms across his chest once more. Logan looked hesitantly between the two mercenaries before going over to check on Tyler, leaving Ace to cling to the bars and tremble in awkward silence.

A cluster of five guards marched down the corridor towards the cells where the three captives were imprisoned, the man in the middle toting a long stun stick while the others all carried shackles. Ace glanced up as the group came to a stop in front of the cell, straightening up as the stick-wielding guard stepped out of the formation and gestured to the cell lock.

"...Whadda ya want?" Ace questioned.

"You, prisoner." The guard stated flatly as he would thrust the baton forward into the mercenary's gut. Ace collapsed onto the floor and spasmed wildly as the door popped open. Tyler and Logan scrambled to their feet, only to be forced back against the wall as two of the chain-carrying guards drew their side arms.

"What about the woman that was with us?" Logan asked quietly as the remaining two guards busied themselves restraining Ace's twiching form. The guard with the baton simply shrugged before he stepped out of the doorway, allowing Ace to be dragged unceremoniously out and down the corridor. They were followed shortly by the two guards keeping Tyler and Logan in line.

The door slammed shut with the heavy sound of the latch falling back into place, sealing the two men inside once more. Tyler grunted as he walked over to a narrow cot along the side wall and settled down, hands resting on his lap. Logan paced the length of the cell several times before glancing over at the larger man and asked, "Why do you keep him around, anyway?"

"A debt," Tyler responded simply, causing Logan to raise an eyebrow.

"A debt?" he parroted.

"Yes."

Tyler's terse answer made the hairs on the back of Logan's neck stand up, the young man deciding not to press the issue any further. Abruptly, Tyler jutted his chin towards the cell door and questioned, "Do you think you could locate the mechanism inside the rail?"

Logan paused, turning and heading back over towards the bars. His eyes roamed over the surface until he found the roller bar which allowed the door to slide open and shut. He could see the cell block patrol out of the corner of his eyes as he reached up and trailed his fingers along the depression, searching for the mechanisms while the two guards seemed to be engrossed in conversation. Logan suddenly grinned as he turned to face Tyler, letting his arm drop down to his side. "Found it. There's a particular spot where it's exposed, along with a few small gaps that might lead to the unlocking switch."

Tyler nodded as he reached up and began to rub his chin. "The guards?"

"Too busy to give a damn," Logan replied.

Tyler pushed himself up from the bed and walked over towards the bars, Logan resting against the wall as he kept an ear out for any noises down the hall. The giant of a man peered down at the guard detail before cracking his neck and placing a hand against the bars.

As the two guards chatted idly, one of them suddenly stiffened up before keeling over with a heavy thump. The remaining guard stared down at his comrade wordlessly for several seconds before reaching for his rifle, sweeping the hallway as his free hand went for his radio. Before he could react, however, the second guard let out a muffled noise before dropping on top of the first. Logan perked up and pressed himself against the bars, trying to see what had happened. Tyler shut his eyes and tilted his head down slightly, muttering, "Check your pocket."

"Uh, okay..." Logan looked completely baffled as he slipped a hand onto his pants, fingers closing around a thin length of metal. He drew it out and examined it, realizing that it looked to be just the right length to trigger the mechanism in the door. Tyler just nodded towards the rail Logan had searched earlier, and the bandit hesitated for just a moment before getting to work. "How in the heck did you...?"

"We don't have much time," a muffled, slightly mechanical female voice uttered as the lock on the cell popped open. Logan stumbled back, head swiveling as he tried to discern who was speaking. Tyler let out a small sigh as he pushed against the bars, forcing the door to slide open.

"We need the others." The voice returned again, this time coming from between the two men. "Your friend is being interrogated. The other is 'visiting'. They are under observation. Your escape has gone unnoticed...you have a prime opportunity to fulfill the contract."

"I am aware," Tyler responded darkly. "What of the young one?"

"The girl is being transported to the surface now, accompanied by the master," the voice hissed. Logan finally couldn't take it anymore and grabbed Tyler's arm. "I better not be losing my mind. Who are you talking to, Tyler? Where the hell is she?"

The large mercenary reached up and wrapped a hand around Logan's arm, guiding the bandit in front of him and pushing him lightly into the hallway. "Start walking. I'll tell you more later."

Logan started to protest before he snorted and carefully creeped down the hallway, passing the two guards and peering around the corner, "Huh. Looks like there aren't any guards."

Tyler grinned slightly as he began to walk the other direction. "You're going to the interrogation room to get Ace. I'll get Sai."

"Wha-wait! I have no idea where I'm going!" Logan started down the hall after Tyler, only to be stopped short as a hand wrapped around his shoulder and pressed him against the wall. The bandit's eyes went wide as a lithe woman seemed to melt into existence in front of him, clad in a skin-tight suit studded with modular crimson and white armor. The helmet was what drew his attention the most, however, being wide at the top and tapering to a narrow, angular point just beneath her jaw. The two eyed each other silently before Logan jerked his head over towards Tyler and sputtered, "W-what the HELL is this?!"

"I told you I'll explain later," Tyler called quietly over his shoulder, before addressing the Crimson Lance Assassin. "Don't underestimate him."

She nodded silently before beginning to move, pulling Logan along behind her. He cast a helpless glance at the mercenary before rounding the corner, leaving Tyler alone to stalk the corridor.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 is UPDATED! Whoo! So I'll be adding new chapters now. But they'll be edited BEFORE they're posted. Please be patient, the editing process sometimes takes a bit. And with the holidays upon us, things are likely to take a bit longer than usual.

This section of the story begins to explain some things about Jezebel. I keep going back and tweaking things, so please be patiant with me. Been trying to breathe more life into the story by offering a lot more in-depth information about what's going on. Thanks for following my long story thus far! Almost caught up to where I'm at in writing the story.

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**_Alexaydra's Quarters_**

The young Lieutenant stood in her parade uniform in front of the viewport, staring at her reflection that was projected against the storms raging on the planet below. Her coat and skirt were black, covering a white button-down blouse and a short red tie secured into place with a golden clip. Her low-heeled dress shoes were black as well, polished to a mirror shine. Her blonde hair was tied back in a braided bun, with a garrison cap perched carefully off-center on her head. Medals – distinguished service, rank, campaign ribbons – glittered on her chest as the system's sun rotated into view.

The door to her quarters opened with a hiss, drawing Alexaydra's attention back to the viewport's reflection. She remained where she was, hands clasped together in front of her as she whispered, "I've waited for this day. It's been...five years, now. Five years since you betrayed the trust of my family and broke my heart. Five years since you lured my sister away."

Light footfalls were the only thing that answered her, the intruder drawing closer and wrapping large arms around her shoulders. Tyler rested his chin on the top of her head and let out a long sigh. Alexaydra closed her eyes as her heart began to pound, long-pent up feelings threatening to overwhelm her at the touch.

"I'm sorry," he rumbled, wrapping one arm loosely around her neck and knocking the cap off as the other trailed down her side.

She scoffed lightly, relaxing against his larger frame and resting her chin against the bend in his elbow. "You took everything from me, you know. My sister used to be so gentle...You and I used to be so happy together..."

"Not everything."

Tyler jammed the needle into her chest, the tip piercing her heart as he pressed the plunger and released the deadly toxin within. Alexaydra trembled in his arms as her eyes flew open, mouth bobbing open and closed like a fish while her breathing quickened. The giant merely pocketed the syringe and wrapped his free arm around her waist, slowly lowering the two of them to the floor until the Lieutenant grew still.

Tyler carefully gathered up the body and rose to his feet, heading over towards the bed and laying her down. He drew her eyes shut with his fingers before crossing her arms over her chest, setting the garrison cap next to her head. Stepping back, he stared down at the corpse of the only woman he ever loved for a moment before bowing deeply.

"'Til death do us part, Alex. May your soul find peace."

**_Shuttle_**

Sai cradled Chirp's limp body as the little shuttle rose gracefully into the air and slipped out of the Dahl ship's hangar bay. She remained quiet in the lounge with Zofeya and Gin, the old man puffing on an elegant kisaru as he eyed the young girl in anticipation. Zofeya was seated further away, apparently absorbed in a book that was no larger than her own hand. Finally, after a lengthy silence, Gin pushed himself up from his seat and stepped off towards the cockpit to check on things. He hummed lightly to himself before clearing his throat and tapping the pipe against a metal tray inside the cockpit.

"Yes, yes," he muttered to himself, "so many storms, so many rocks, so many problems." Glancing over his shoulder at Sai and Chirp, he continued, "Hmm. The herbs should have worked by now."

The female mercenary pulled Chirp closer in response, looking like a nervous mother watching over a sick child. "The spirits are stirring," she said softly, glancing up to the old man. "If she doesn't wake up soon, she may never wake up. They're growing restless."

Gin grunted as he carefully added a fresh pinch of hair-fine tobacco into the kisaru carefully, nodding with a knowing look. Zofeya abruptly lifted her gaze from the small text, looking from Gin to Sai until her gaze finally settled on Chirp.

As the trio watched, Sai felt the young girl begin to tremble slightly. Just as quickly as it started, Chirp's frail body jerked against Sai's hold.

"Chirp?" she called out, only to quickly be forced to hang on as Chirp began to seize with greater frequency. "Gin! What's happening?!"

Gin tapped the kisaru against the metal dish again before he set the pipe down carefully and exited the cockpit, calmly approaching and removing a small silver vial from within the folds of his robes.

"Ah, splendid. She's merging with her body again, you see," the old man explained patiently. "Her spirit has been away for quite some time. She must be guided back, or the connection may be severed."

"What!?" Sai hissed incredulously as she grappled with Chirp. "Why is this happening? What did you do to her!?"

"I have helped her along. Normally when one's body and spirit are separated, it is relatively simple to return them together. This is a different case, however. A special case! The spirits alone are limited as far as what they are capable of accomplishing."

Gin popped the stopper out of the silver vial and poured a small amount of blue paste onto his thumb. Kneeling down next to the two women, he reached out and deftly drew the paste across Chirp's forehead and began to quietly chant incantations. The rich scent of herbs quickly spread throughout the little craft, causing Zofeya to snap her book closed and focus more intently on the proceedings, though her expression never betrayed her thoughts.

There was no sound beyond the gentle hum of the engines, Gin's murmured incantations, and the odd sound of protest as Sai held on to Chirp for dear life. It continued on for what felt like hours, until at last the young girl's spasms began to abate slowly. Sai continued to cradle her close, feeling the rapid thuds of the young girl's heart begin to subside as she gasped for air. Gin's chanting began to fade as well, until at last he was silent and Chirp fell totally still once more. The old man pulled the kisaru free from his robes and lit it, puffing a few times as he turned and made his way back to the seat he had originally occupied. Sai's attention was focused on the spirits that had been swarming around Chirp, her expression turning once more to worry as she watched them scatter one by one. She slid her fingertips against Jezebel's neck, checking for a pulse and finding none. Her heart skipped a beat, eyes darting over to Gin as she paled. Gin met her gaze and simply continued to tend to his kisaru, while over in the corner the corners of Zofeya's lips turned downwards ever so slightly.

"No," Sai said quietly. "No, she can't be—"

A sharp gasp interrupted the mercenary, causing her to look down in surprise as Chirp struggled to breathe. The young girl's eyes suddenly shot wide open, darting back and forth in a panic as her arms and legs lashed out at random. She tried to speak, but her efforts only produced a garbled mess of noise and syllables as she snaked her way free from Sai and collapsed against the deck. Gin gave a cross between a snort and a laugh as he observed the scene, Zofeya watching intently. Overcoming her initial shock, Sai quickly followed Chirp down and gathered her up again, holding the girl from behind as she ran her callused fingers through her hair.

"Shh, Chirp," Sai cooed, "It's me. It's Sai."

The young girl sucked in another enormous breath as she twisted roughly in Sai's grasp, her focus darting to the older woman's face. "S-Sai! SAI!" she screamed, reaching out and cupping Sai's cheeks in her palms.

"Chirp!" Sai warned firmly. "Focus on my face. Focus! Take slow, steady breaths."

Chirp slowly began to calm down as she stared into Sai's eye. "S-Sai," she whispered, fingers trailing along the mercenary's cheeks and lips, as if trying to determine whether or not she was real. "Wh-where—...H-he tried to...I was dead!"

"You were asleep," Sai corrected her. "He didn't succeed."

"Th-The voices...So many. So many voices," Jezebel continued, tears welling up in her eyes. "So much pain..."

"It's all right now. Rest, okay? We're far, far away from him. He can't hurt us now. You're safe."

"No...no, he – he won't stop. We're not safe.."

Gin let out a long sigh as he watched Chirp waver between calm and panicked. He tapped the kisaru against another metal bowl before tucking it away in his robes once more. "Listen to her, child, and rest. Yes, rest. You have been through very much and are no doubt tired."

Chirp hesitantly looked away from Sai and focused on Gin. Nearly as soon as she set eyes on him, her body went limp and she curled loosely against the mercenary woman, fast asleep. Sai looked up at Gin, her expression a mix of confusion and awe, only to have him smile widely.

"The herbs have begun to wear off. She will sleep for most of the trip now."

**_Planet Surface_**

Spring had arrived. Violent snowstorms had given way to super cell storms on a planetary scale. Torrential rains, razor-like winds and constant volleys of lightning made it a living hell to those who lived on the surface. Those who could, fled to subterranean cities exclusively built to outlast the onslaught, while those less fortunate were face with the prospect of living in hastily-constructed storm cellars for the entire season.

The shuttle had managed to pierce the storms in one piece, braving the winds to land in the midst of a circle of broken boulders. The conditions were downright brutal, particularly for Chirp. The little vessel shuddered violently as it was buffeted by the winds. Zofeya opened the hatch and stepped outside, the winds quickly kicking up inside the shuttle and sending small objects clattering. The Geisha walked elegantly to the edge of the stones and raised her hand, tracing something in the air for a moment. As she finished, the storm quickly died down, revealing that the scenery had suddenly shifted. They were in a sinkhole of some sort, protected from the elements. A tunnel was dug from the earth, laced with pipes that came out of the tunnel and reached over their heads, capped with exhaust ports that periodically emitted gouts of steam. Gin exited the shuttle, followed at length by Chirp staggering weakly against Sai. As the two women looked at the surroundings in wonder, the old man watched them out of the corner of his eye before pushing the eyeglasses up the bridge of his nose with his thumb knuckle. Catching their attention, he gave them a simple nod and swept a gnarled hand towards the tunnel, encouraging them to explore.

As the duo walked down the passageway, they reached a long ramp forged out of varying metals. Chirp reached out for the pipe-like rails and used them to pull herself along while Sai lingered protectively at her side. Zofeya and Gin watched them as they moved along, the old man pulling his kisaru from within his robe and packing it with sweet-smelling herb.

"She is a strong one," he mentioned off-handedly. "Reminds me very much of her mother."

Zofeya looked at Gin with a single, slender eyebrow arched slightly. "You knew her mother?"

"Of course I did," the master replied with a huff, striking a match against the shuttle door. His face was illuminated with a soft orange glow as he brought the match to his face and began to puff on the mouthpiece. "...It is best she not learn the details of her lineage just yet. Soon enough, soon enough."

Zofeya turned her gaze back to the distant women, lightly nodding in acquiescence to Gin's wishes.

**_City of Hollows_**

The city streets were paved with brick, candle-lit street lamps dangling from the second stories of buildings and surrounded by a multitude of pipework. Each structure looked as if it was ripped straight from the pages of a history book of 19th century Earth, built of dark wood in a classical style that would make beast-drawn carriages seem right at home. Most of the inhabitants instead chose brass bicycles as their transportation, with steam-powered engines reserved for only the most wealthy. The sound of small bike horns honked and chimed ethereally in the distance as bundles of gentlemanly-looking men milled about in small groups on street corners, endlessly cleaning and adjusting the monocles attached to thin wire cords clasped to their shirts. Long coat tails accented by Asian-inspired accompaniments created a classy atmosphere which overshadowed the original purpose of the underground metropolis. It was a bastion, providing protection to those who could not adapt to the harsh toxins that tainted the air above ground and granted them the ability to live a somewhat normal life on the planet of their forefathers.

The occasional hiss of escaping steam and the creaks and clicks emitted from copper pipes and dark poles along the streets was an ever-constant reminder that the lifeblood of the city was fueled by an extinguishable resource, and that the world they knew could come to an abrupt end at any moment. Many gave it little more than a passing thought, content to smoke their pipes and build their inventions throughout the length and breadth of the city. Gold fans were the day's fashionable décor', displayed wide open to reveal the embroidered kanji on both sides that greeted the viewer with a simple 'Welcome'. Their rich red accents made the dark browns, blacks, and metallic coppers which made up the city all the more soothing. They sat atop many street poles in high places for all to see, with store signs below hanging from decorative iron sculptures that jutted out from the store fronts. Red tapestries decorated the windows of the shops alongside faded pastels, ranging from simple light greens to dark browns and blacks. The hustle and bustle of the city was accentuated by the low hum of machinery, as noticeable to the residents as the ever-present cloud of steam that hung above the city.

Chirp slowed to a stop as she stared wide-eyed at the scenery, instantly feeling right at home. Sai looked somewhat more perturbed, studying a massive water wheel that used an underground spring to drive the paddle and the thick bunches of piping that sent steam throughout the various districts of the city. She couldn't place it, but the mercenary felt the distinct absence of something she had grown accustomed to.

"Chirp." Sai murmured in a soft tone as she glanced down. The young girl dragged her eyes away from the sights and smiled widely up at Sai. The older woman simply let her concerns go unvoiced for the moment and forced herself to smile in response, pointing to a stylish-looking restaurant nearby. "Are you hungry?"

Chirp nodded and tried to start towards the building, her hands briefly leaving Sai's arm briefly before the weakness in her legs forced her to cling back on. Sai shook her head slightly and put an encouraging hand on Chirps, gently guiding the two of them towards the restaurant. As they passed people along the streets, many of the residents politely doffed their hats or smiled warmly at the pair. However, Chirp noticed, mixed in among them were occasional, suspicious glares. She felt her smile begin to wane as she spotted more of the unwelcoming stares, but once they reached the eatery she quickly pushed them out of her mind as excitement set in once again.

"Well, howya, lasses," came a voice from behind the two women. "Ye've got fine taste, ye do. Welcome t'the finest restaurant o' the city. Allow me the honour o'opening the door for ye."

Sai turned to see who had addressed them and felt her cheeks begin to redden as she studied the almond-skinned man as he reached for the door handles. His hair was a chaotic mix of small braids that seemed to somehow have been carefully ordered to draw attention to his features, wooden beads wrapped into several of the braids to add some color to rich, black hair that was swept back into a somewhat messy ponytail. It easily complimented his mixed-race features. He looked mostly Asian, though his accent and build had some traits common in Caucasians. He was dressed in a deep, almost midnight blue suit with long tailcoats that accented his medium build. The dress shirt's collar was popped up, the crisp fabric an alabaster white that looked as spotless and clean as the day it was made. Beneath the white of the collar sat a set of brass goggles with fine, willowy engravings in black enamel along the edges of the heavily-tinted lenses. A navy blue vest sat beneath the jacket, contrasting the darker blue and studded with brass frog buttons that offered a distinctly Asian influence. The hem of his dress shirt was untucked, covering the waist of the pinstriped pants that matched the jacket. He wore black spats with frog buttons along the sides over polished black boots to complete the look.

As he reached for the door, Sai averted her gaze and tried to keep herself composed as the blush threatened to color her cheeks. Chirp looked at her guardian with a confused expression before offering a weak smile to the unknown man. He only paid her a moment's notice before gesturing theatrically inside with a sweep of his hand. "Fla's first," he stated with a wink. Sai practically staggered her way in, trying not to stare too obviously at the man's face.

Once inside, Sai found her attention quickly attracted to the decor of the restaurant, taking a moment to size the place up. The walls were covered in a variety of green tapestries and curtains, the wood on the counters and tables polished to a healthy shine that accented the decorations and giving the whole place a very earthy look. The stools were topped with leather, with dull, black metal for the legs and a low hang over the bar with rows of glasses held upside down. The more traditional seats were furnished with thick, leather upholstery in a softer, but more faded brown that was complimented by the dark burgundy of the dining tables. The center of those tables were dominated by a single oil lamp which cast a soft glow, adding a somewhat romantic aura to the place. The air was thick with the smell of food, specialty drinks, and the sweet herb smoke that many of the patrons seemed to favor.

Chirp untangled herself from Sai and used the various tables and seats for support as she pulled her way to an unoccupied spot. Her weakness caught the eye of more than a few patrons, who whispered quietly amongst themselves as they watched her. Alone in the back, a single man sat at an empty table with the candle snuffed. He wore a battered fedora that kept his features mostly hidden, though the scruff of a beard was illuminated each time he took a drag on the pipe clamped between his teeth. Chirp's eyes settled on the man and she abruptly found herself looking for another seat that would get her as far from his view as possible. Before she could get too far, however, Sai appeared through the crowd, being led by the man that had opened the door for them.

"Right, 'ere we are. Care fer a jar, or are ye inna mood fer a meal today?" He asked as he pulled out a seat for Sai. She couldn't shake the blush on her cheeks, nor could she keep her eyes off the man for too long. It was rather unnerving to Chirp, never having seen the mercenary woman act like this, but her attention kept getting pulled back to the man in the corner, now obscured from view by a tall planter.

"A meal," Sai squeaked out, which did nothing to help the butterflies that had settled in her stomach. The man seemed not to pay any notice, smiling cordially as he rose to his feet and went to fetch some menus. She watched him go a bit longer than was probably proper before turning her attention back to the table. Spotting Chirp staring into the corner, she furrowed her brow and asked, "Chirp? Something wrong?"

The young girl glanced back to Sai and discreetly pointed to the plants. Sai craned her neck and spotted the faint red embers of the fedora-wearing man. Raising an eyebrow, she looked back to Chirp and whispered, "I see him..."

The menu-fetching man had returned at that point, and Sai returned her focus to him as he passed the menus out, giving him a polite smile while she tried to control the butterflies in her stomach.

"Right then, here we are," he said genially as he took a seat. "Forgive me rudeness earlier. I am Feing Shun Daly, but ye two can call me Fei. I own a fair portion o' this here city."

Sai blinked in surprise, not having expected to run into someone of such high stature. Gesturing between herself and her young charge, she replied, "Sai. This here is Chirp."

"Ah, pleasure t'meet ye both." Fei bowed his head respectfully to Sai before giving Chirp a friendly smile. "I'm afraid there's a few dealin's that require me, but if either o' ye lasses need something, don't hesitate t'look me up."

He stood and bowed at the waist to the two before turning to leave. Sai glanced at Chirp for a moment, hesitating, before calling out after him, "Wait!" Fei turned and raised an eyebrow, and Sai cleared her throat before beckoning him back over. "I mean...Please, wait. You don't have to leave. We're new in town and could use some help getting our bearings."

Chirp looked up at Sai in surprise as Fei pulled his coat open, revealing a simple gold pocket watch which he plucked out and popped open. Sai noticed that the face of the cover had an intricate design of a lotus with a dragonfly resting at the edge of one of the petals. Her thoughts were interrupted as he abruptly closed the watch and tucked it back inside his coat, nodding slightly to himself. "Aye, t'would be remiss o' me to let ye wander around like a lost pup. I can spare an hour, lass."

Fei slid one of the free seats out and settled into it, smiling warmly at the two women. Sai happily returned the smile, while Chirp returned her attention back to the planter that obscured the eerie man.

"So what'll ye dine on tonight, ladies?" He asked as he waved a waitress in a rich purple cheongsam dress with gold accents over. She bowed deeply to Sai and Chirp before bowing even further to Fei. "Welcome to Chen Lou's Dragon House. My name is Kiki. What can I get for you?"

"Well..." Sai started as she looked down at the menu, pondering her choices. She looked up at Fei questioningly and asked, "What would you recommend?"

"There's a dish called the 'Dragon's Den'. Plenty t'go around fer the lot of us. If ye'd like t'try it, I'll gladly cover."

"Oh, that's not necessary." Sai quickly blurted as she began to pat down her pockets. She looked confused for a moment as she began to turn her pockets inside-out, before Chirp quietly set Sai's wallet in front of her on the table and went back to peering through the plants. The mercenary just sighed and snatched it up, stating, "...We'll try the Dragon's Den, but we can pay our portion."

"Now, lass, I insist! Consider it a welcome t'me favorite town. We dun' get outsiders down here often, and ye clearly aren't one o' the surface-dwellers, either." Fei glanced over to the waitress, who began to scribble down the order in a notebook before bowing and slipping away. She was shortly replaced by a second waitress carrying three tumblers of water, two empty wine glasses, and an elegant pitcher full of a rich purple-red liquid. Fei nodded his thanks as the waitress placed everything on the table, promptly taking up the pitcher and pouring it into the two glasses. Sai watched him curiously before asking, "What's that?"

"Plum wine," Fei responded, lightly taking his glass by the stem and lifting it up. "Very sweet and not very alcoholic. It'll go well with th' Dragon's Den. I'd offer some to the wee lady, but she looks a fair bit young."

Sai smiled lightly as she reached for her glass, bringing it to her lips as she inhaled. "It smells wonderful. Thank you." She noticed that Fei suddenly frowned and set his glass back on table.

"Hey now, where'd she run off to?"

Sai jerked her head over, looking with a panic-stricken gaze at the empty chair Chirp had been in moments ago. She quickly climbed to her feet, eyes darting across the dim room to try and pick out the young girl. "Chirp?!" Fei rose up as well, his frown deepening at Sai's worry. "You swing around the left. I'll go right."

Sai nodded quickly and started to weave her way through the chairs, Fei heading off in the opposite direction.

The restaurant suddenly was alive with a buzz of chatter, the patrons obviously startled by the sudden scene. Fei asked the waitresses if they had seen Chirp, but none of them could recall spotting her anywhere. Sai was on the verge of completely panicking given how frail Chirp had been after her ordeal.

"I can't find her anywhere!" she blurted as Fei met her in the middle of the floor. "I don't understand...she never wanders off like this!"

"Calm down, lass. She cannae have gone far," Fei reassured her, placing his hands on her shoulders. The faintest hint of a giggle cut through the background noise of the gabbing patrons, drawing their attention to the shadowy corner. The glowing embers of a pipe revealed a wide grin, obscured slightly by a haze of sweet-smelling smoke.

Fei reached over and grabbed a nearby oil lamp from an empty table and briskly approached the corner, his face stony.

"Afternoon to ye, boyo," Fei murmured, setting the lamp on the table to reveal Chirp sitting beside him. The man was older than she first suspected, deep lines and crow's feet on his face etched into relief by what must have been many years braving the surface. He didn't look terribly tall, roughly around Sai's height, with dirty brown hair flecked through with grey, gathered into a few poorly-formed dreadlocks. His beard was scruffy, braided in several spots with trinkets much like those in Fei's hair. One in particular stood out in the dim light, a skull and crossbone medallion dangling a few inches below his chin. He wore a red captain's hat with gold trim along with a matching red coat. Beneath the coat was a black vest over a white ruffled shirt, the collar tied together with an ivory locket of a woman's face. His boots were faded brown leather that came halfway up his calf, the wide cuffs folded down and the black legs of his pants tucked inside.

"D'ye mind, lad?" the pirate rumbled, puffing on his pipe before pulling it away. Sai remained silent, her eyes drawn to the design that was briefly revealed on his arm. It looked similar to Chirp's, though far more intricate and detailed. "Me'n me new mate be conversin'. Last I heard, that don't give nosy folk a right t' break a man's privacy."

"Aye, but I question the taste ye have in yer 'mates'," Fei challenged. The pirate slammed his hat onto the table and shot to his feet, a milky-white eye narrowed dangerously at Fei. "Ye blasted scallywag! Besmirch my honor, will ye? I'll gut ye like a pig!"

"Ye'd be dead afore the first swipe. We've strict laws about trouble makers 'ere," Fei shot back in his Irish brogue. The pirate snarled silently as he snatched up his hat and tugged it firmly on his head. "Fine, then. We play by yer rules. High noon, landlubber, at the town square. You best be there, else ye'll be walkin' death's footfalls a coward." Glaring once more at Fei, he turned and bowed to Chirp, the two of them both looking disappointed. Digging in one of the pockets on his jacket, he drew out a few crumpled bills and tossed them onto the table before striding towards the exit.

Chirp watched him go before she turned her gaze to Fei, frowning deeply. Sai recognized that look and quickly slid between the two of them, eyes searching her young charge's for answers to an unspoken question. The young girl just grunted and turned, hobbling over to their original table.  
"My apologies fer all that," Fei murmured as he and Sai followed. "This is a good town, but I suppose every place has its fair share o' shady types. Please, enjoy yer meal, but it's time fer me to leave. There's a hotel up the road called the Dormant Ant. It's one o' me properties, so just ask fer the key to room 201."

Fei smiled tightly at the two women and bowed before spinning on his heel and leaving them behind. Chirp eagerly dug in to the meal waiting for her as Sai watched him go, whispering, "Thank you, Fei." She felt guilty for imposing on his generosity, especially after the confrontation with the pirate. She turned to Chirp and sighed, shaking her head slightly at the spectacle but glad that her appetite seemed to have returned.


	10. Chapter 10

**_City of Hollows _**

It was deafeningly quiet, with lanterns flickered their dim lights along the long, winding roads. Everyone had settled in for the night with only a few still awake. Many of those who couldn't sleep watched the streets from their windows. The streets were dim, and the thunderstorms above carried an extra chill through the night air that reached even the underground city. The vents couldn't keep it all out, unfortunately. But none complained as the weather brought in water, to create steam, which helped them expand their city and keep the population happy.

"Neh?" The sound of an old woman broke the quiet streets as she waddled her way along, muttering something about trains and steam. She was generally considered by the others to be a batty old crone, a collector of oddities and trinkets in the little antique shop along the main strip. She hardly had customers, and hardly had friends or family to go to. As the old woman came to a pause at the corner, she'd look left, then right, and frown deeply with a long, raspy huff, "Neh..." She'd squint her eyes at the distant darkness and begun on her way again towards the small antique shop a short distance ahead. A shriek in the distance called her attention away from her destination, forcing her to adjust the handkerchief wrapped around her head to keep her hair semi-dry. A plain looking dress was all she wore, in faded gray with a heavy wool coat pulled snug about her form to keep her warm from the dreary weather. Her boots were even worn, probably as old as she was, easily in her 80s. She was plump, but not unhealthily so. Once quite beautiful, her age had stolen away those fond years as a young woman, and left her somewhat deranged after the loss of her husband.

With a small shrug, the old woman continued on her way, muttering to herself about 'kids these days'. She was somewhat helpless in her loneliness as she made it across the brick road and glared off towards the darkness again. This time however, something caused her to tense up. A brief movement, a glint of red, something stirred in the darkness. She would turn fully to face it. It started to consume everything. Darkness started to pour along the streets, engulfing the dimmed candlelight like it was a meal to be consumed. The older woman stepped back with a gasp, her bones shook with fear as she watched it race in towards her. As it got closer, she felt herself being pulled forward. Every muscle in her body ached to run, but she helplessly closed the distance as darkness met with her face to face and just as suddenly, she disappeared within it.

A young man in his late teens with a black driver cap, plain brown vest, white shirt and gray pants had been seated on his porch most of the night. His eyes flicked up to witness the darkness come and go like a whisper, causing him to freeze up for a moment. With a jump to his feet, he raced for where he had earlier watched the old woman walk, practically staggering himself to a halt upon arrival. He'd quickly look around for any sign of her, "Nanny?" He called out, but heard nothing in response. Again the young man would call out for her, but nothing returned the call. A bit out of breath, he'd pull his cap off and rubbed his face anxiously only to stop as he spotted something on the corner of the sidewalk. The young man kneeled, and felt his face pale as his fingers grazed across a lone handkerchief. One matching the one the old woman had been wearing on her walk, "Oh no…" he said as he felt a rising sickness in his gut, "…Oh god no…Please say it ain't so!" He rose back to his feet with the handkerchief clenched in his fist, and darted off away from the corner down the street towards the center of town.

**_City of Hollows – Center of town_**

A crowd had been growing since news spread across the city, causing mass panic amongst its residents. In the city's center, the architects had left a large circular space open, leaving plenty of room for gatherings to assemble. The building's shadows indicated it was nearing noon, which was the traditional time for most meetings to be done. In the middle of the commotion sat two wooden crates stacked together, Fei perched on top with a woman beside him. She wore a rather frilly, royal blue dress with a black corset tight around her midsection and down the length of her torso. Her hands were delicately covered in lacey black gloves and her feet were adorned with matching blue boots with hints of black lace dressed around the ankles. She was quite pale compared to Fei, but clearly also a mix of Asian and Caucasian. Beside him she remained quiet, with dark brown hair braided back, and a flowery blue hat adorning her head elegantly. Her eyes however, were a different color, quite remarkably a striking baby blue which found the growing crowd.

"I understand yer frightened, friends." Fei spoke up loudly, broadcasting his voice through the central circle of the city, "We've anticipated this attack fer some time. And we've prepared fer it. Lot o' good men and women have volunteered t'run 'em from our homes and take back what is rightfully ours." The woman remained quiet as she nodded in agreement, but fell still as she spotted Sai and Jezebel joining the crowd. Her slender hand would daintily reach up to rest against Fei's shoulder, causing him to pause and turn his focus to the two women at the back of gathering. He'd nod once to the woman, and whisper down into her ear before sending her off.

Fei returned his focus to the crowd in front of him, and continued with his speech, "We've not lost yet. A single loss does not mean defeat! We've the gear, the technology, and the iron balls t'strike them down like the pests they are!"

The crowd would stir and cheer in response to the speech from Fei, causing him to nod firmly once and smile. His gaze did not go unnoticed by Sai as she found it meeting her own. Neither did the sudden appearance of the woman that once occupied the crate beside Fei. She would step in front of Sai to draw her attention, standing just a little shorter than the mercenary. Jezebel stared up at the other woman, wearing a fedora that was familiar to those who had encountered the pirate the night before. It smelled like sweet herb and alcohol, which didn't quite suit Jezebel. As Jez squinted her eyes from beneath the brim of the hat, the young woman would look from Jez to Sai and offered a small smile. "Me brah'der tells me quite a lot about ye." This caused Sai's eyebrows to raise, "Brother? Fei?" She questioned.

"Aye, Fei. He's quite fond of ye. Me name is Xin Chou. I own the restaurant ye ate at last night. Me husban' runs it with me. His name is Shui." She offers fondly, bowing to the two women.

"Oh. I'm Sai," she offered quickly in response, awkwardly bowing as to not be rude, "and this is Chirp." As she turned to introduce Jezebel, she would pause again finding her once more missing. "Chirp?" She called out, causing Xin to offer a slight frown, "Has yer lass gone missin' again?"

"Ugh...I'm not sure what keeps getting into her!" Sai responded with a huff, before calling out, "CHIRP!" As she turned to scan the crowd, she'd come practically face to face with the pirate from the night before, the pipe hung from his lips as he squinted his blind eye at her. He'd reach into his coat, causing Sai to tense up noticeably before having an eye patch thrust into her hands.

"Wear it. It'll do you some good with your missin' eye. An' don't think just 'cause yer not a pirate is an excuse t' not cover it up," he lectured her, causing Sai to give the man a baffled stare. Promptly she put it on as he pinched his lips together and gave her a most notable stink eye. "Uh…Right," she responded.

From behind him, Jez appeared and smiled toothily up at the two women, causing them both to look a tad startled. "You're awful chipper," Sai commented.

"Good kid, she is." The pirate said as he lifted the fedora from Jez's head and ruffled her hair a bit, "You should wait here, lass. Unless you wish t' see me spill blood." The pirate commented, and turned to make his way through the crowd directly for Fei. That caused Xin and Sai to tense up noticeably. As the crowd parted for the pirate, Fei would slowly turn and hop from the crate to face the older man. He'd stare at Fei long and hard with his one good eye, "It be noon, bucko. I hope you had a good night's rest."

"Aye." Fei responded, "I hope yers didn't consist o' children."

The Pirate's lips twisted into a deep scowl, "You be a sick one t' think me that desperate." He nearly growled out the words, "That be me great niece you speak of, lad." Fei's expression went from threatening to absolute shock, "Yer great niece?" He repeated, "Are ye sure?"

"Do I look like I'm kiddin'?" The pirate responded sharply. Fei let out a long groan as he looked up towards the sky, "Cripes, mate. I didnae' know."

"Now you do. So you can let me draw your blood for your insult, or you can run like a coward and die when I hunt you down." The pirate reached out to clench tight to Fei's arm causing Fei to let out a startled cry. The older man didn't give him much a chance to do much else as he reached his hand across Fei's palm, and sliced deep into it with the edges of a poison ring. Luckily, there was no poison contained in it this time, "AH! What are ye doin'? This isn't a duel!"

"Nay. I drew first blood. You lost. Do you want me t' draw more?" The pirate asked as he gripped tighter to Fei's arm. "AH! Nay, nay! Y'won. I'm sorry fer me assumptions." Fei responded quickly at the threat as he tried to pull back rather helplessly against the man's grip.

"Serves y'right," the Pirate responded as he let go, and turned to move back towards Jezebel with the large gathering giving the old man a wide birth. As he came out of the crowd back to Jezebel, he'd smile a bit crookedly down at the young woman and nod. Jezebel smiled brightly in return. Sai gave him a strange look before muttering, "Oh boy." As the pirate glanced over, she continued, "Did I hear you right? You're Jezebel's great uncle? Wouldn't that mean…?"

"Aye. She be a pirate." He said as he waved them to walk alongside. The crowd stared at the scene, and many just glared at Fei as he'd start his way through the gathering, trying to make it to Sai. Plenty of them hissed behind his back, disappointed in how he handled the pirate. Others outright turned their back on the man, disgruntled and annoyed. Despite that, Fei pushed on until he would find his way back to the group and nearest to Sai to follow along.

The old man continued, "But not just any pirate. Her Mother was a skillful martial artist, and a Geisha. One o' t' best. When her Father passed, I took over his worthless lot." He paused to wave his fist in the air, "Bunch o' scurvy dogs. No discipline! They deserve all t' rats they get." Looking down at Jezebel, who was soaking it all in like a giant sponge first introduced to water. Sai looked woefully up at the sky with a long, drawn out exhale, "Oh god."

"Wait." Sai paused and looked down at Jezebel, "But you said your family was ambushed by pirates. Was that a lie?" Jezebel looked awkwardly off to the side as the old man chimed in, "It be true, lass. Her ship was ambushed when they were returnin' home. Just because we be pirates don't make us all buckos. Rival groups attacked expectin' her Father on board." He rested his hand protectively on Jezebel's shoulder as the girl frowned and offered a slow nod before pulling herself away to wander. Fei would call out quickly, "Oi, young lass. We've a problem on our hands. Best not t'wander too far, aye?" He offered in advice with a small frown. Sai turned to him and smiled a little, pausing as she saw blood dripping from his hand, "Oh, you didn't get that treated?" She questioned with a bit of concern, causing Fei to blush as he felt her take his hand to study the wound, "Uh well y'see.." He said awkwardly, which prompted a light giggle from his sister. Xin waved as she headed off towards a nearby candy store, followed closely by a couple of men as she went along.

As Xin left, the pirate turned to Sai with a grin, "Call me Ed." He introduced himself, then turned and started his way off, "Don't you worry, bucko. I'll help chase off t' kong xin zhan shi." (空心戰士) Ed said as he made his way after Jezebel to keep an eye on her. That left Sai and Fei alone, and put Fei in even more of an awkward spot. He'd look after the others as they went their separate ways as Sai studied the wound left behind, "A poison ring," she commented, causing Fei to tense up. "Come again?"

"He used a poison ring. I recognize the wound," Sai replied as she withdrew a simple hypo from her pocket, "No poison, though. You'll be fine." She stabbed the needle into his wrist, causing Fei to let out a startled cry. Sai couldn't help but laugh a little at his reaction. He seemed so tense, and after the wound knitted itself closed with the help of the medicine, she would focus again on Fei. "What are… uh…the things Ed was talking about?"

"Ugh," groaned Fei as he pulled his hand back to look at the wound. "Kong xin zhan shi. Hollow Warriors. We believe they were early settlers, but I cannae tell ye who they really are, lass. Jes' that they work in shadows." His answer caused Sai to look uneasy, "Shadows? Are they...aliens?"

"Nay. Probably human like us, but a _wee_ bit crazy." He emphasized the 'wee', hinting that he felt they were far more than just a little. "When me great gran-da came to this planet, he was forced t'live on the surface for several years. He and the others finally got fed up with bein' sick and miserable all th'time, so they started t'explore, and dig. The lot o' them took on a huge responsibility fer the sake of all the lads and ladies livin' here. They found tunnels, which eventually lead them here. It was abandoned from what they could tell, so they spent the next few years turnin' this place into a town. After me Da was born, shadows started attack'n everyone. People disappear'n all over the place, screams in the night. Everyone was terrified! They started sett'n up camps t'guard the city walls, but guards kept disappearing in the darkness." He'd begin to walk, leading Sai to a nearby bench for them to sit and talk.

"By the time they started t'figure out who they were, m'Da was a young man. Took them years, and lots of sweat 'n blood t'fight off the nightmares. Always used t' say, 'If they bleed red, then they can bloody be killed'. We learned later they bled all sorts of colors, but that's not really the point," he said as he settled onto the bench with Sai, his arm resting along the backboard above Sai's shoulder as she listened intently. "Truth be told, lass, me Da nearly lost his life t'the kong xin zhan shi. But it was a Siren that saved him." He nodded as if to confirm his words. Sai looked at him in awe, "A Siren? A real Siren? They exist?"

"Aye, lass. Powerful beings. Good t'have on yer side, for certain. Dun want to ever anger them."

"What happened next?"

"Well. She ran 'em off, and me Da fell in love with 'er. I was their first born son." He chuckled softly, "Dun' be think'n I have anything special about me. I'm jus' an ordinary man. And me sister, just an ordinary woman."

Sai stared in awe at Fei as she listened, "Is she still alive?" She questioned eagerly, causing Fei's smile to wane, "Aye, but she's grown weak. Probably why the kong xin zhan shi have returned."

"Oh, no," she said softly, "I'm terribly sorry, Fei."

"Why?" He questioned in response with a puzzled look, "Ye dun have anything t'worry about, lass. We all grow old, and we all leave this world one day."


	11. Chapter 11

**_Café Ambrosia_**

Jezebel had promptly seated herself at a table near the window, examining the layout of the inner café with intrigue. It was pleasant in atmosphere, with cream colored walls lightly illuminated by hanging lanterns around the edges. The tables were set with a single bowl of water and three tea lights floating within them. Clear bowls of Konpeito candy sat near the candlelight; small, spikey looking balls of sugar essentially, in a variety of different colors which Jezebel had conveniently begun to munch on. The seats were simple in cherry wood complimenting the dark willowy wood of the tables. The floors were a deep cherry wood, and shined to perfection matching the counter set at the far back of the establishment. Behind it a sign hung, with chalked in information of specials of the day. A variety of different sized tables and areas were set up accommodating many different people, or individuals who wandered.

Ed hummed as he pulled the fedora from Jezebel's head to place it on the table beside the candy bowl, then did similarly with his own hat as he leaned back in his seat with a low groan, "I have a lot t' tell you, lass. A lot you might not be ready for, but you best hear it from your Uncle. Do you want t' know about your family?" Jezebel sucked on the Konpeito happily, pausing to stare at the old pirate with wide eyes. She'd sink forward to listen intently, causing Ed to smile a bit as he too leaned in to keep his voice low. But before he could speak, a cane would snap across the table surface causing the two to practically jump out of their seats, "Wonderful to see you, Ed." Gin puffed on the pipe as he regarded the two, wrinkling his long mustache with a wild twitch of his lips. Ed would snap at him a bit, slapping his knee as he spoke, "Are you tryin' t' give an old Pirate a heart attack, Gin?" Jezebel sat back away from the two with violet eyes set solid upon Gin's visage. He pulled the cane back, and set it with a solid tap against the floor, "Is that an invitation? Ah, how kind. Don't mind if I do." He pulled one of the chairs out from beside Ed and settled down into it on the outside of the table. "What's this nonsense about family?" Gin questioned.

"I was just about t' tell t' lass about her family. Everythin' she ought t' know by now. Like her Mother bein' a Geisha and a—" Ed's face turned red as he felt the snap of the cane strike his leg sharply, causing him to bite down on his tongue to suppress the urge to cause bodily harm to Gin. Jezebel looked confused between the two while sucking somewhat loudly on the sugar candy.

"Ah, what he means to say is—" Gin had begun, cut off by Ed.

"I mean t' be tellin' the lass of her family!" He shouted, growing agitated by Gin's attempts to stop him. Gin pushed his thumb knuckle up against the ridge of his small glasses at the outburst from Ed. People started to glance over, and whispers spread like wildfires around the café causing Jezebel to grow still in her enjoyment of the candy. Ed reached for Gin's shirt with a scowl, "You shouldn't hide these thin's from her! She has a right t' know!" Gin in response wrapped his hand around Ed's wrist calmly. "She's not ready."

"Gin, you can't keep this from her! T' kong xin zhan shi have returned and she'll either learn t' hard way, or she'll learn from us."

Gin gave a pause in response, and begun to curse in Mandarin profusely with a disgruntled look towards the table. His hand fell away from Ed's wrist, causing Ed to move his hand away from his shirt to rest back atop the table.

"This is not the place to discuss such matters," Gin insisted as he stood and promptly scooped up the bowl of Konpeito to dump it in a linen sack for later sharing. Ed pushed himself to his feet with a small grunt as he felt the ache of his age for a moment, taking the time to stretch to his full height and offer Jezebel a quick, reassuring smile.

**_Starlight Point_**

Sai rested on the ground with her hands cupped behind her head, eyes locked skyward in awe. Beside her, Fei rested on his back with one leg hooked over the other and his hands rested atop his stomach. He'd smile slightly towards Sai, whom was completely lost in the stars glistening high above them, seen through a wide tunnel that led straight up far beyond their reach. "It's the only place I know of that ye can see the starlight past the storm," he explained as he rolled onto his side to watch Sai.

"Amazing," Sai said, nearly at a loss for words as she was captivated by the breathless scene above them. "This is…amazing." Her smile waned slightly as Fei observed her, causing him to frown a little in return.

"Is somethin' wrong, lass?" He asked with a hint of concern in his voice.

"No, just...We had friends that were up there with us."

"Up there?" He questioned as his fingers lifted to comb straying locks of blonde hair from Sai's cheeks.

"We escaped a Dahl ship before coming here. My sister helped plan it out, and she assured me we'd all be able to meet up soon." She turned her head to face Fei and smiled gently to his reassuring smile.

"I'm certain they're fine, lass. Rest assured; if anything happened I'll do all I can to help." Fei said confidently. Sai felt her heart skip a beat as she was caught up in Fei's gaze, his hand trailing the edge of her cheek with the gentlest of touches. As their lips drew closer, it seemed like a moment they'd both been waiting for was about to happen. Above them, high in the atmosphere where star fields coated the ever growing distance, a ripple would shutter the view causing Sai to first jerk her eyes to the sky. The ground trembled faintly around them, tossing small chunks of rock and debris to the ground before becoming increasingly violent. Fei looked up in surprise, and around, scrambling to his feet with his hand grabbing for Sai's quickly. They'd notice a flash in the sky, then a rampant inferno enveloping everything above them. Fei's mouth opened slightly in surprise, forcing himself to not say what it was he believed the source could be.

"Fei?" Sai questioned as she noticed his expression, "Fei, what was that?"

Fei shook his head as he started to pull Sai back towards the city, picking up speed as rocks started to fall at a more rapid pace, "We got t'get back to the city, lass. Make sure everyone is alright."

As Sai and Fei came within sight of the cave opening, they slowed to a halt at the sight of Jezebel standing there. Her eyes were empty as she looked upon the two, a single tear falling down her slightly dirty cheek. Sai stared a moment in puzzlement with her fingers unlacing from Fei's grip as she slowly approach Jezebel. "What?" She questioned with growing concern, "Chirp, what is it?"

Without a word, Jez turned to make her way away from the two. Sai followed quickly, "Chirp, talk to me please?"

"The Dahl ship was destroyed," Jezebel responded softly only to take off in a run to flee Sai's pursuit. Sai stood there with a blank look on her face as she watched the young girl disappear back into the city. Behind her, Fei drew closer to place his hand on her shoulder. She didn't move, staring forward as her breath caught in her throat and tears began to roll down her cheeks. Fei wrapped his arms around her from behind with his head resting against her cheek, offering her silent comfort.

As Sai closed her eyes with a long, shuddered breath, Fei's arms suddenly slipped away from her as he was pulled away from behind. She turned just in time to witness Fei slam face-first into the rock walls with a hard snap. Blood spilled from his nose as he crumpled to the ground, struggling to get to his feet finding himself standing face to face with a very angry, medium sized man. His black hair only a few inches long, was messy at best and his visage stared with a hateful gleam as he bit down on the cigarette hanging from his mouth. "HANDS OFF," Ace shouted as he closed the distance between Fei and himself. Fei scrambled back from the other man as he tried to regain his footing. Ace reached out and wrapped his fingers around the back of Fei's jacket, hauling him up before bodily shoving him into the wall again. "That's-my-GIRL!" Ace snarled, punctuating each syllable by slamming Fei into the increasingly-bloody rocks before throwing the man to the ground.

"ACE!" Cried Sai, "Stop! You're going to kill him!"

"That's the idea, purdy lady!" Ace said as he drew his revolvers and lined up the sights. Fei pushed himself to his knees and looked at his attacker, blood dribbling from his mouth and nose and his face covered in gashes. He made his way back to his feet and seemed to ignore the barrels aimed at him. "Ye've no honor," he spat as he straightened his coat and began to pick flecks of mud off of the fabric. "No honor, boyo. Ye cannae even fight a man face t'face."

Ace simply scoffed as his fingers caressed the triggers of his revolvers. "I dun' need honor, asshole. I got guns."

"Tis a shame, boyo. T'not have honor is t'not be a man. Y'fight me hand t'hand and I'll step off. Aye?" Fei offered as he glanced briefly to Sai with a light nod. Sai looked reluctantly between the two men as she took a step back from the pair. Ace glared at Fei, spinning the revolvers around his fingers and tucking them swiftly into the shoulder holsters. He'd glance to Sai, noting how upset she was which caused him to hesitate.

"No worries, purdy girl. I got this." Ace said confidently as he shrugged his shoulders and bounced on his feet. Fei pulled his jacket free and walked calmly to Sai to hand it to her.

"Iff'n ye dun mind, lass. Jes hold onta this fer a wee moment," Fei said with a gentle smile offered. Sai took the jacket, and would receive a huff from Ace as she pulled it against her chest. Fei stepped back, his hands balled up into fists with a light nod to Ace, "Come now, lad. Let's fight like real men."

**_City of Hollows – Center Town_**

It always seemed dark in the city no matter the time of day. Jezebel had taken up a spot atop a building. It sat at the far right side of the center circle that had earlier been occupied by a large grouping of people. The building was simple in architecture, with faded dark wood sidings and clay, half-circle roof tiles cascading down somewhat flattened rooftops. The edges of this particular three story building had intricate designs carved into the wood, slightly lighter than the areas surrounding it. It looked as if there was a painting of a dragon chasing the sun and moon up the edge of the building. One could imagine the brush strokes to create the beautiful piece of art if not for the fact it was clearly carved into the wood. It was also one reason Jezebel had chosen to occupy this particular building.

As she sat on the edge of the roof, her legs swung lightly to and fro with her hands cupped between her legs. Her hair had been pulled back into a loose bun, with bits of wrapped hair in faded pastels mixing in with her bangs. She watched the swirling darkness of the storm ebb and flow, sometimes allowing the sky above to peek through. She'd tug at the tips of her slightly pointed ears with a twitch of her lip, exposing her teeth as her nails would gently scratch at an itch there. The expression faded as she'd stare back up to the sky, dreaming of one day finding a way to tame the storms. Her heart dropped when she started thinking back to Eissa, her old friend and ally. Her only friend, the only being she ever trusted truly. Her eyes squinted to fight back the tears she felt rising.

"I miss you, Eissa…" she whispered to herself. There was an unmatched pain dwelling inside her as she thought back to the cruel nature of the red haired man. What he had done to Eissa, and to Jezebel the following day. How terrible it was to learn she had eaten her friend. As she thought about Mercury, the tears spilled over and rolled down her cheeks with rage boiling in her eyes. Her hand would snap down against the tile causing it to shift with the impact but not break. As she took in a sharp breath, the pain left from punching the tile became lost to her. The ship had blown up. Sai was not the only one stricken with grief at loss. Her mind carried onward to Logan, the only Bandit that stuck with her and protected her. And Tyler, who had given her more then she had ever expected. Ace, as well…

Her expression fell when she thought about Ace. Her hand balled up again, and punched once more only to find something soft beneath it. Jezebel's eyes snapped down to the large hand that cupped her fist. At first, she'd stare as if she were seeing things. Her hand remained planted in the palm of the larger hand as her eyes followed the arm up to the calm, Zen looking man. His eyes settled on Jezebel, with the faintest of smiles given. Wide eyed, Jezebel stared a long moment until she felt herself lunge at the man to wrap her arms around his shoulders. Tyler smiled a little more, remaining crouched with his arms encircling her small frame. Jezebel felt the tears coming faster as she held on tight to the larger man, finding herself crying into his shoulder. Tyler remained still as he held her, with one hand stroking down her back soothingly to ease the pain he could only imagine she felt.

"You're…alive." Jezebel sobbed gently, "I thought you all died.."

"Shh," Tyler whispered as he squeezed her carefully, "We're all alive. Logan is recovering, as is Ryker. They're both exhausted from the trip here."

"A-And Ace?" Questioned Jezebel as the sobs slowed. Tyler pulled back with his hands resting against the top of her arms, "I don't know. He disappeared when we came here. He's probably looking for Sai."

Jezebel's teary eyes widened when Tyler mentioned Sai, suddenly jerking away from Tyler to turn towards a pipe leading down off the high rooftop, "Sai's with Fei." Jezebel stated, brushing the tears off against her sleeve. She could feel the panic rise up in her in an instant, forcing her sorrow deep down.

"Fei?" Tyler asked as he stepped up to the edge of the roof to watch Jezebel make her way down.

"Her new boyfriend!" Jezebel said hurriedly as she pushed off the pipe halfway down to drop the rest of the way. Tyler's expression shifted to a more serious one as he simply jumped from the roof, bending his knees to take on the impact of the ground as he landed. Jezebel didn't wait for Tyler as he stood to his full height. She was off in a split-second; racing towards the last location she saw the two together. Tyler followed without pause.

**_City of Hollows – Cave Entrance_**

Sai stood back with Fei's coat clutched against her chest as the two circled an empty space between them. Fei stayed steady as he walked around with his gaze solid upon Ace. Ace's fists were tightened shut with his shoulders widened and his arms bent upward in front of his face as if in a boxing ring. He'd watch Fei closely with a dangerous glare boring into the other man's gaze. As Ace lunged forward, Fei stepped in with his left arm coming up to block the incoming punch from Ace. Fei's right arm would then snap forward to slap against Ace's ear causing Ace to stagger to the left slightly having lost his balance. The black haired man shook his head quickly to shake off the dizziness, before he'd return his focus back on Fei whom stood by patiently. Ace would lunge in again at Fei, finding himself staggering forward as Fei would duck his body back and swing his leg in from the left to trip Ace up.

Frustrated, Ace would spin around to face Fei with his hand snaking out to grab a hold of Fei's shirt. He'd swing his fist in towards Fei's face causing Fei's head to snap back sharply from the punch. In response, Fei grabbed the arm that clung to his shirt, and torqued it causing Ace to be spun in a sharp arch backward with Fei partially standing over him. With Fei's right leg placed firmly beneath Ace's lower back, he'd bring his right hand up and swing it downward in a sharp punch. The impact was strong enough to cause Ace's head to snap back, spraying bits of moisture off the man's hair and his right arm painfully snapped from socket. Fei didn't bother holding onto Ace's arm after the punch, instead stepping back to let Ace fall to the ground with a pained grunt. Ace was unsurprisingly stubborn as he rolled on his back, and tried to force himself onto his knees as blood spilled from his nose.

Sai stood by with a sickened feeling within her gut as she watched the two men fight. They both seemed on relatively even terms, except she suspected Fei was going easy on Ace. She had over time come to learn Ace was more a guns sort of man, and cared little for hand to hand combat. As she'd watch them fight, a strange sensation overcame her causing her to slowly turn to the darkness at her back. Hints of movement made her stir, forced to turn back towards the two as Ace snapped his shoulder back into place with a disgusting popping sound. The sensation of something sharp entered the back of her neck, causing her to sway where she stood.

Ace raced towards Fei again, this time finding himself off his feet as Fei caught him beneath the chin with his outstretched arm. Ace's body swung up, and fell back against the ground in one swift motion. He'd grunt as he started to climb to his feet, only to find Fei cheerfully smiling down at the man.

"Had enough, lad?" Fei asked.

Two shadows caught the men's attention drawing nearer to their position quickly. It was difficult to make out who they were as they raced in closer to the brawling men. First to come into recognizable view was Jezebel, followed closely by Tyler. Fei dropped his arms as Ace slowly rose to his feet to meet Tyler's gaze. The condition of both men said enough about their fight, causing Tyler to set his jaw. Jezebel folded her arms and glared at Ace, scoffing up at the man before she'd turn to look for Sai.

"Uh…" Jezebel said with a small frown, "Where's Sai?"

In the shadow movement would stir again with no visible sign of Sai anywhere. The four tensed up, Fei prepared to fight again with Ace drawing a single revolver as he rested his injured arm against his mid torso. Tyler stood alert, but his guns remained holstered as he watched the shadow come closer. The four tensed as it got near enough to make out the features, only to feel the tension instantly leave as Sai staggered into view. However her steps would carry her only a few feet closer, before she'd fall to her knees with her hands pressed against the ground.

Ace and Fei launched into action immediately though Ace would find his collar grasped as he attempted to close the distance to Sai. Ace turned back with a bit of protest as he found Tyler holding onto his shirt tightly.

"You're too injured. Let him help her," Tyler said calmly.

"Feck ya, man. I can help!" Ace insisted.

"Nay, lad," Fei responded as he carefully pulled Sai into his arms. Her condition was quickly deteriorating as the poor woman started to feel reality slipping away from her. "She's been poisoned." He'd hold up the tiny dart in offering as he got to his feet with Sai carefully held in his arms. Tyler let go of Ace's collar to step forward and take the dart. He'd study it carefully as he turned to begin guiding them back towards the city.

Jezebel stared at the darkness that Sai had come from with violet eyes ever so focused on what could be hidden in its obsidian boundaries. The familiarity of it made her all the more ill at ease causing her to step back a couple paces from it before turning to run after the group. Within the confines of darkness, a pair of eyes had stared back at Jezebel's and watched as she disappeared into the city with everyone else.

**_City of Hollows – Hotel Room 201_**

The room was plain, with diamond printed wall paper in a time-worn brown and cream. The colors of the wooden dresser were faded, with wear shown vividly against its edges. The bed was made from a thin metal which creaked as Sai was placed upon it. The bed comforter was a faded green with creamy white layered beneath. The pillow matched its plainness in a simple, bland brown which offered nothing of interest to the group. Sai's body felt as if on fire as Fei rested his hand across her forehead, watching sweat roll down her cheeks with light tears following. Barely conscious, Sai gave them a pitiful look of apology which was quickly answered by Fei shaking his head in response.

Ace stood back with his arm in a fresh, dirty white sling as he gazed towards Sai worriedly. To his right stood Logan who'd brought with him a small box of vials and herbs. As it was opened, the natural scents filled the room in an instant causing Fei to glance back at the man.

"How is she?" Logan asked as he carried the box forward, setting it beside Fei on a creaky side table. As the man studied the contents, Logan apologized, "I haven't much to offer. Forgive me, Sai. I should have been better prepared." Ace lifted his right arm to brush his hand down his face with a low groan feeling the guilt of his jealousy ravage him inside. He'd groan again as he turned and left the room with his hand bracing against the doorframe on exit. Tyler glanced over from his position near the window with his gaze settled on Ace's back. He inhaled deeply, flicking his gaze to Fei and observed quietly.

Atop the hotel stood Jezebel with her arms folded. Beside her, Ryker had settled in a bit further back from the edge not particularly caring for the height of the building. "She'll be okay, Jezebel." Ryker said softly, "I simply cannot be convinced otherwise."

"She was poisoned." Jezebel said with her gaze settled on the distance. She could feel the pain, but her eyes had become dry with the humidity in the air. As she'd stare off, Ryker scooted forward carefully finally gaining the courage to sit at the edge with his legs crossed.

"Logan has some medicinal herbs, as does Tyler. They were able to collect some supplies before leaving the ship. I'm certain she'll be back with us in no time, love."

"She was poisoned…" Jezebel repeated, her voice cracking slightly with emotion.

"She was," Ryker confirmed as he drew his arm around her, pulling Jezebel against him. "Please don't hold it in, Jez. I know you're hurting."

Jezebel finally looked at him, her eyes becoming misty with tears as she stared at his caring features. Those sweet eyes of his rested upon her own, inviting her to feel whatever it was she felt. They were shameless, and ever so gentle. Jezebel's eyebrows pinched together as her lips wrinkled with pain, "Why can't I protect anyone!?" she sobbed as she rested her head against his shoulder and started to cry, "I lost Eissa, and I let that monster kill so many people! I _let_ him!"

"Shhh, Jezebel…" Ryker said in a soothing tone as he pulled his other arm around her to hold her in close, "You didn't do any of this. Please don't feel as if any of this is your fault."

"Ryker!" she protested, "I helped him kill travelers! I helped kill families! People who wanted to help me, _died_!"

Ryker gave a confused glance as he held Jezebel close against him. "What do you mean?"

"When…" she huffed, drawing in sharp breaths through the tears. "When we were…" Jezebel coughed as she tried to explain, "…living with the bandits. They used me as a decoy and-"

"Jez." Ryker slid his left arm from around her and brought his hand up beneath her chin. As he tilted her head up, their eyes would meet, allowing Ryker's words to penetrate into her heart. "You did nothing. This was all Father's fault. No matter what happened before, or what happens now, you are still my wife. And I will always, always love you."

"I'm afraid…" Jezebel responded as her gaze rested on his, "I'm afraid of losing you, too. I'm afraid...Mercury might try to use you against me. Or me against you."

"Shh." Ryker drew his finger up to press it to her lips gently, shaking his head with the kindest of smiles, "I swear I'll never leave your side, Jezebel."

Beneath the roof, Tyler listened intently to the conversation above. The window was cracked to allow the cool air to flow in, keeping the temperature of the room tolerable for Fei and Logan to work in. Fei muttered as if he'd heard the talking outside, "That lad best know how t'fight." He gave Tyler a glance from his seated position at Sai's bed and asked, "Can ye train 'im in a days time? The dart looks t'be the kong xin zhan shi. One o' their preparation moves, no doubt."

Tyler pushed away from the window as things grew silent above with Ryker and Jezebel, focusing his attention on Fei, "The Hollow Warriors?" He questioned.

Fei's expression shifted to surprise, "Ye know o' them?"

"Yes." Tyler responded. "I spent time here training with my Sensei."

"Yer Sensei?" Fei questioned as he pulled a cool bucket of water towards him and rung out the washcloth within it to rest across Sai's forehead.

"Yes. My Sensei." Tyler offered no further explanation, his demeanor indicating he had no intention of elaborating further. Fei's eyebrow lifted curiously at the man, before he shrugged a shoulder. "Aye, I understand. Can ye teach the lad?"

As Fei asked, Logan stepped up beside the bed to look at Sai. He'd kneel with his fingers resting against her neck to check her pulse, "Do you have any sort of lab here?" As Logan asked, Tyler would step away from the window further to head for the doorway leading out of the room.

"Aye." Fei responded as he followed Tyler with his eyes, "I cannae find anything in here t'counter the poison, just enough to keep her alive. Do ye intend to test her blood fer the toxin?"

"Yes." Logan responded as he reached into the box to pull a syringe. He'd look from Fei, to Sai then around to the now otherwise empty room with a long sigh. As he uncapped the needle, he'd steady his hand and press it into a vein in her inner elbow before drawing the blood up into a single tube. His eyes narrowed as the blood seemed darker than usual, and oddly thicker. But it was the sight of something black amongst the deep red that caused him to freeze, "What the hell is that?"

Fei paused as he saw the black blotches as well. He was taken aback by the sight, causing Logan to look mildly panicked.

"What is it!?" Logan demanded, drawing the needle from Sai's arm and pressing some gauze against the tiny hole. Fei shook his head quickly as he pushed up to his feet.

"Lad, that'd be the taint from one o' the rarest types o' plant underground. It's called a Manasa vine. It only grows in total darkness. It's near impossible t'harvest."

"Nothing in here will neutralize the poison?" Logan asked as his heart raced a little.

"Nay. It's been assumed the Hollow Warriors have a cure. They aren't keen on sharing, lad. We'd have to find a way t'steal some, but we've no clue where they hide out. The tunnels are a massive maze."

"Well we sure as hell ain't leav'n the lady to die, damnit," Ace grunted as he stood in the doorway with one revolver gripped tightly in his right hand and the other resting in his left. "We gonna do this, bro?" Ace asked, "Gonna play the big damn heroes?"

"I had intended to." Logan rose to his feet and looked down at Fei. "It might be a good idea for you to stay with her."

"Aye," Fei offered a weak nod, "I'll keep her alive."

Tyler walked back into the room where the three talked, forcing their focus to turn quickly to him.

"His training will not wait for tomorrow."

"Why's that?" Fei questioned as he watched Tyler over his shoulder.

"They're both gone…and there is movement in the shadows." Tyler stated as he turned to make his way back out of the room, his hand reaching back to grasp the butt of his rifle and pull it from its holster. "Fei, stay here with Sai and protect her. You too, Ace."

"Feck off," Ace announced as he stepped up towards Tyler, "I gots a meet'n with a bunch of kong…shin…Hollow Whats-its! Ain't noth'n keep'n me from sav'n Sai."

"Remain here, and protect her with your life. She may be their target tonight." Tyler sounded unmoved as he paused and turned to face the black-haired mercenary, drawing up to his full, imposing height. He was an unmovable wall and one to rightfully be wary of. Ace stepped back and huffed before moving towards the windows. "Gah, whatevs..."

"Logan, you've not had any proper training yet. Don't show your hand unless you need to." Tyler said to Logan, receiving a nod of understanding. "I'll find Chirp and Ryker. If they return here, make sure they remain here."

"Aye, I'll do tha'," Fei nodded to Tyler as he watched the man carefully, feeling a sense of uncertainty touching deep within the pit of his stomach. Logan took position near the door Tyler stood by. Ace plopped down directly in front of the window with his eyes squinted towards the darkness on the horizon. As Tyler turned to leave, he felt Logan's fingers brush against his upper arm causing him to stop.

"Oi," Logan said gently, "Be careful, Tyler."

Tyler paused as he lowered his gaze to meet Logan's eyes, and gave a nod of confirmation before he'd round the corner to head back downstairs.

The night grew still with empty streets and flickering streetlamps. A distant hum conjured up fear from the few who remained awake in the city. Many of whom were mothers or fathers gazing over their child's bed protectively, with guns gripped tight at the ready. A woman rested her hand over her infant's forehead with a tears trailing down her cheeks. A man stood with his wife over their fraternal twins holding his arm around her shoulders in comfort. A man sat beside his sleeping daughter with a rifle held across his knees. He'd gaze down at his only lifeline sadly, tugging the blanket up to cover her shoulders. All of these people knew there was a chance they'd never see their children again, or the light of a new day. All of them would make their way out of their homes, meeting with more and more from the city who intended to fight. Among them, Tyler walked quietly away from the center of town where those still awake had begun to gather. He'd pass them by, receiving curious looks from only a few who bothered to let their focus shift from their purpose. Tyler offered no response of any kind as he weaved his way through the people, and soon disappeared into a darkened strip of road.


End file.
